Figures, whether paper, plastic, or painted miniatures
This is probably the topic I have personally dealt with the most. Players often have a special affinity for their own characters. It’s not uncommon for them to have a certain image of them in their heads, perhaps even having artworks for them and like to showcase them.
Besides the imagination in the head, however, a figure is needed to represent them in battle or in round-based situations on a map. And similarly to the maps, there are various levels when it comes to figures.
Of course, if one is especially motivated, they can look after miniatures that symbolize their own characters, NPCs, and enemies on the map. This can also lead to a whole new hobby alongside D&D (as it has for me).
However, miniatures should not be viewed as a minimum standard, by no means.
Other forms of markers, whether they be game figurines, bottle caps, or other objects, can visualize where a character is on the map. Those wanting a more personal approach can do so with printed images of the characters on paper.
Personal tip from Caro: Our figures from D&D have undergone a remarkable evolution. We also started with a means to an end, for us it was the game master’s Gogo collectible figurines, but we developed them further.
We printed drawings of our characters on paper, glued them onto thin cardboard for more stability, and then stood them on small plastic stands. Nowadays, we use a mix of paper figures, Gogos, and painted miniatures, but the paper characters are very dear to me (and hopefully to my fellow players too).
