I realize that you already know most of the Table Rules (rules that apply at the gaming table when I'm the DM) listed here. However, reading over this page is a REQUIREMENT for playing in my games. These rules aren't optional. You and I both have to follow them to play at my table. They are here to set a standard of conduct for my games that applies to both players and the DM (yours truly). This way, everyone knows up front what's expected at the gaming table. (Please note that it is truly a sad sight when the DM has to punish himself for breaking his own rules. Especially when someone as powerful as Guardian is doing the punishing...)
If you object to these rules, or are offended by them, then this isn't the game for you. I intend no offense and I take no offense if you find these rules intolerable. When you're the DM, I will definitely follow your rules if I play in your game. I expect the same courtesy in return.
Here is a FAQ about the rules on this page. This should answer most of the questions that arise while you're reading along.
Q: Do I have to memorize these rules?
A: No. As described below, we're all still learning the rules of the game. I'm not going to set down a requirement to learn another set of 20+ rules and then test you on them. Heck, I can't recite them all, and I wrote them!
Q: So why did you put out these Table Rules?
A: Because every player in one of my games deserves to know what's expected of him or her in regard to acceptable manners, behavior, and conduct. There are certain things that absolutely piss me off. Now you know what they are, and we can all avoid them. One pissed off person at the game table will ruin the game for everyone - especially if it's the DM. These Table Rules are also a collection of lessons I've learned the hard way over the last 15 or so years of gaming. And last (but not least), it's a good way to check and see if you're going to get along with me as DM in one of my games. That'll save us both a lot of wasted time and stress.
Q: Aren't you talking down to us by putting in basic rules of courtesy here?
A: No, I'm not. Not everyone has the same definitions of basic courtesy, much less common courtesy. Here are the ones that will be enforced at my game table when I'm running the game. Now everyone knows what conduct is expected of them.
Q: Some of these "Table Rules" are offensive!
A: Then don't play in my game. Problem solved.
Q: Aren't you being a little harsh with some of these?
A: Probably. But I've noticed something - when I make the players read over these rules before the campaign starts, the campaign runs A LOT smoother. I've had occasional trouble in campaigns from the characters. I've had FAR more trouble from players who don't play nice with each other, cooperate with each other, or cooperate with the DM. I want to keep that trouble to a minimum.
Q: Do these rules apply to you when your DMing?
A: Heck yeah! It wouldn't be at all fair if these rules didn't also apply to me.
Q: Where did you get these rules?
A: From both playing and DMing various games over the years. This list actually started out in the 3rd campaign I ever ran.
Q: Some of your players must've been real problem players.
A: I'm assuming that you mean "problem players" in a bad way. Players who make me stretch my limits as a DM are good players, even though they make me work hard and present me with challenging problems to solve! Problem players are the ones who make the game not very fun. But I'll let you in on a secret: We're all problem players in one way or another. The real trick is figuring out a) whether a given game is a good match for you, and b) how to be less of a problem player in that game. Posting these Table Rules is one way for you, as a potential player to check and see if the game I'm running is a good match for you, and at the same time, help you to not be a problem player.
1. Entertainment. I expect everyone to come to the game expecting, and working towards, entertainment. If you're ticked with someone at the table, you need to talk to them about it. If you're happy with someone at the table, you *REALLY* need to mention it to them. Examples:
"Bob, is your orc barbarian deliberately trying to cheese my character off?"
"Frank, that was a really cool move you pulled with your rogue! What are you going to do with The Ravager's underwear?
2. Rules Familiarity. Everyone's still learning the rules, including the DM. I don't expect anyone to learn the rules so thoroughly that they can recite verse, chapter, page number, paragraph number, and line number. I do expect players to be familiar with the basics (what dice to roll when, what modifiers to apply in combat, how spellcasting works, etc) after 6 months of regular weekly play. This is only one of two obligations you have away from the game table. It's mainly to help speed up play - the mechanics shouldn't slow down the game.
If you have any sort of personal or medical condition that might cause periodic forgetfulness, let everyone at the table know within the first few sessions. Some examples from past experience: Short-term memory damage due to being clinically dead on an operating table, Attention Deficit Disorder, any sort of medication that impairs clear thought (including pain meds for migraines), BAD DAY AT WORK, and the like.
3. If you can't make it that night... If you can't make it on a particular night, please let the DM know as early as possible. Now, real life interferes frequently, especially in your DM's life. Your DM will be very understanding. There are, however, a few things you need to understand as a player:
4. Give the DM a current copy of your character sheet, and keep giving him updates whenever something changes. This is the second of two obligations you have away from the game table. Giving a copy of your character to the DM has several benefits: 1) If you forget your character sheet or the dog eats it (which has happened), the DM can whip out a relatively current version for you to use or copy from, 2) If you can't make it to that night's session, the DM has a copy of your sheet to refer to so the game can go on, 3) the DM will periodically review everyone's characters and can make suggestions so that you can take advantage of rules mechanics.
A current copy of your character sheet MUST include: Race, classes, class levels, stats (strength, dexterity, constitution, intelligence, wisdom, charisma), AC, hitpoints, weapons (including total attack bonuses, damage bonuses, crit range), feats, skills, magical items, and the following types of spell selections: Default (what your character normally has available/memorized), Combat (when you know you're going to be in battle), and Searching (when you and your friends are traveling across unmapped country).
5. If you disagree with something the DM has done, apply the following 3 tests:
If the answer to all 3 tests is "No," then it's not worth arguing over. If the answer to ANY of the 3 tests is "Yes," then you need to talk to the DM.
6. If your character does nothing (doesn't take any risks), then nothing will be done with your character. Grant him/her/it a happily ever after life and roll up the next one. In other words, take risks, but don't be suicidal.
7. If you don't understand any of these rules, or the terminology used, ASK THE DM!!!
8. If the DM gives you advice, you had better pay attention. If you ignore the DM, or worse - blow him off, then whatever consequences you (as a player) or your character suffer are your own fault.
9. No one talks about Fight Club.
Below is a list of rules and advice culled from the last 15 years of gaming. This advice has existed in various forms throughout the games I've run, except twice: One of those was the first campaign I ever ran. On both occasions, the campaign crashed rather badly.
In other words, ignore this section at your peril.
1. Figure out how you're going to divide up treasure early, write it down, and stick to it. Review this method every few levels to make sure it still works for everyone. Revise as needed, and make sure that EVERYONE agrees with it. Some examples are: Total up all cash values for loot and divide evenly (essentially, everyone has a pool of "cash" to buy looted magic items), divide up only money evenly - magic items go on a first pick basis, or whatever.
2. Don't create a character who opposes another player's character from the beginning. The DM may set certain situations where you will be at odds with each other (enemy shapechangers are great for this), but this shouldn't last more than a couple of sessions (if for no other reason that if your characters don't get along, there's no reason for them to adventure together - do not actively work against the DM on this). You must work together to succeed. This means that each character's alignment (if used) must not be opposed to any of the others. Thieves must tone down illegal activities around the stuck up lawful good priest. The lawful good priest must be lenient towards the sinner thief and show truth and goodness by example, not force of arms. The thief should find ways to get the priest to "live a little" (i.e., get him drunk, singing, and dancing a couple of times, but nothing that breaks his vows). The priest should encourage the thief to have a sense of honor and do the right thing (i.e., I will help you if you help me, Let's find out who's been robbing the orphanage and get the stolen goods back, I'll help you find out who really stole the merchant's jewels and turn them over to the authorities). Use it as an opportunity to role-play.
3. Don't steal from PCs and associated NPCs (henchmen, familiars, close family members). This is the same as having your character pick a fight with another character. This is a cooperative game. Your characters are supposed to work together and support each other. If your character steals, do it from nameless, faceless NPCs, or, better still, enemies.
4. Some groups are perfectly OK with a "Thief Tax" - The thief swipes pocket change/minor magical items from the Bad Guys, and keeps it. Work this out with your fellow players before doing it. Your DM will be very unhappy if a problem like this gets dumped in his lap.
5. If you scout ahead and secretly loot the room (keeping it for yourself), don't expect any healing, cures, curse removes, etc. to help with the consequences unless you share the loot. Also, don't be surprised if no one allows you to hang back until you recover - you took the risks, kept the reward for yourself, and pay the consequences. Arguing that since you're the only one taking the risks, therefore you should get the reward doesn't hold up under logic and game reality. Returning injured to your companions endangers them, since they must now choose between depleting their resources to ensure you're at full strength and abilities, or risk sending a weakened individual on into danger, where that individual's fall multiplies the number of opponents the survivors must face. At higher levels (10th and on) this kind of activity can wipe out an entire party.
Corollary: If your 15th level mugger spends the party's vacation week in town rolling every mark in sight, chances are he'll be very successful at it, perhaps spend a day or three in gaol for larceny. The party's lawful good priest may even bail you out on condition that you never do this again in this town (hint: Roleplaying and/or humor opportunity - "I didn't do it again... in this town"). The above rule isn't for "casual spending money;" it's for pocketing the huge blue diamond off the pedestal in the evil necromancer's catacomb when no one was looking and getting so many curses active on your character that his nose rots off in two minutes. (This actually happened in a game.)
6. Setting up other PCs for embarrassment, harm, death: Make sure you're not about to offend the player, or start a fight with the character. If your character's actions result in another PC suffering, your character is responsible. Now, I've run plenty of games where the "Joke Wars (episodes I-XIX)" were one of the main attractions. To put it bluntly: Make sure the other player is okay with your activities and don't be a jerk.
7. In-character Troublemaker: If your character is consistently foolish, brings down grief on his companions repeatedly, and doesn't learn from his mistakes, then there is a problem with the character. By game mechanics, a character doing this over and over has to have a Wisdom and/or Intelligence score of 8 or less. Even a complete moron learns relatively quickly from pain, or he dies. A Wisdom or Intelligence of 10 or more means that your character realizes that his actions have consequences, so quit playing your character like a dimwit or lower the stats appropriately. The DM suggests you rethink the character concept to get along with others better. The DM also reserves the right to remove problem characters from play. The DM does not force the other PCs to stay with Troublemakers, and will very likely encourage the other PCs to abandon the idiot.
It's okay for your character to make mistakes so long as he learns from them. Some of the funniest moments I've ever witnessed in a game came from naïve, foolish, or "dim" characters who were much beloved by all the players.
8. Out-of-character Troublemaker: The DM expects players to exercise basic politeness and courtesy. Abuse, harassment, repeated interrupting, repeated ignoring, yelling, screaming, personal insults, cutting someone off when they're talking, and the like won't be tolerated. Your DM has had more than his fill of such activity over the years and will permanently eject repeat offenders from the gaming table.
9. When the DM makes a suggestion, LISTEN. If the DM suggests your character should spend some of that hoarded gold on some magical items, or putting some skill points into Diplomacy, try doing it. Your DM doesn't make suggestions without a reason. You might be surprised at the results. Remember, though, it's a suggestion. You may very well have a perfectly good reason not to follow that suggestion - one the DM hasn't thought of. Just make sure you TELL the DM that, so he doesn't think you're just blowing him off.
10. Hogging the DM's attention. The DM is not interested in roleplaying shopping trips, beer drinking, horse-buying, or other mundane minutia that your character is perfectly capable of handling (or mishandling) on his own. The DM MAY roleplay such events if it serves a plot or story line (example: You take the BBEG's castle architect to a bar and get him drunk to find out where the secret escape route is). In short, if you want your character to go buy clothes, then say, "I spend 200gp on a very nice outfit." Don't try to force the DM into specifying what kind of outfit, colors, style and cut - that's your character's choice, not the DM's. The DM does not have time or resources to delineate every possible combination of clothing available in a magical, medieval society with multiple sentient races each having several subcultures. Nor is the DM an expert in tailoring, seamstressing, clothiering, cobbling, or jewelry-making - so he can't even begin add that level of detail across the board. The DM may throw in some details here and there for color, style, story, or require a skill check/die roll to prevent some sort of social faux paus. But DO NOT try to get the DM to role-play every single damn shopping trip your character makes, when your character is only picking up basic food and water for the trip. Please feel free to take another character along with you and you two players role-play what happens. Also, ask around the table and see if one of the other players, or their character, can help out. This is an excellent opportunity for role-playing between players. The DM has enough work to handle running the game.
11. Help the other players. If you see a way for another player's character to do something really cool, helpful, or improve on a rule/mechanic, TALK TO HIM! You'll reap benefits, too with less time spent on game mechanics, fewer slowdowns, and more fun.
12. Ask the other players for help. If someone else at the table seems to really have a good grasp of the rules, TALK TO HIM. Find out what little tricks that player uses to speed things up/make things easier. It's also flattering for us old timers when the newbie asks us for advice (though we can be painfully long-winded and obtuse).
13. Do not hand the DM a list of things your character wants to have done for the next game session the night before that session. The DM will ignore it. The DM requires at least two days to look over a player submission before approving it. Repeatedly doing this, and expecting the DM to let you use whatever was in the writeup, is harassing the DM.
14. People make mistakes I. Talk to the other players and DM to make sure there is no misunderstanding about tonight's, last night's or last week's session. People are rightly upset when they get hit with criticism out of the blue and with no warning that there was a problem or misunderstanding before the explosion. It's even worse after a miserable week at work, or having to deal with parent/teacher conferences. The DM suffers from those, too.
15. No Martyr Complexes. The DM is NOT out to screw over your character. The DM has created more than enough BBEGs to handle that. Besides, it's no fun for the DM to target one player or character for suffering and annihilation. Remember: The DM is here to provide the opportunity for fun - it's up to you to take those opportunities; The DM has sunk far more time into creating your character than you have until your character is around 8th or 9th level - he certainly doesn't want that work to go to waste; and not everything is as it appears in the game. Magic works, illusions are sometimes indistinguishable from reality, and NPCs can lie, don't tell the whole truth, or have been fooled. Also, your character's actions have consequences. Your character may very well have offended a secret organization bent on world domination, or a few gods. (Hint: Don't raze all the temples dedicated to Bael in a country unless you're on very good terms with the god(s) who are directly opposed to Bael.)
16. The DM does not play go-between. The DM will gladly offer suggestions about how to approach another player if there is a potential misunderstanding. However, it is YOUR responsibility to talk to the other person first, not the DM's. If there is an exceptional situation, or you have already attempted to work it out with the other person, definitely talk to the DM about it. If you're shy, it's time to get over it. If you're too shy to talk to someone else, then you're in the wrong game.
17. People make mistakes II. The DM ain't perfect. The DM forgets stuff, misremembers rules, and occasionally royally screws up. Use What I Expect From Players #5 in these situations, plus TALK TO THE DM.
18. If there is a problem and you don't talk to the DM, these two things will happen: 1) Nothing will get fixed, and 2) The DM will not tolerate the resulting "issue" blowing up in his face.
19. If there is a problem and you DO talk to the DM (make sure you do it before the next gaming session), these two things will happen: 1) The DM will do everything in his power to fix the problem (subject to the limitations above), and 2) The DM will bend over backwards to try and keep it from recurring.
20. The following races/classes/combinations are expressly forbidden: Ewoks, Good-aligned Drow wielding paired scimitars with a figurine of wondrous power that turns into a cat/lion/panther; any character named after a character in literature (this includes, but is not limited to, anything from the Conan books, anything from Lord of the Rings, anything from any of the Red Sonja books, and so forth); Dragons (except in Rifts); Gods (except in Rifts); Kender (I don't run DragonLance for this reason), Time Travellers (D&D only), and anything with multiple genitalia (you DON'T want to know). Your DM finds these particular combinations far too annoying to enjoy running a game with them present. Remember: The DM is doing this for fun, too. If the DM isn't having fun, then the DM won't run the game.
21. If you need to leave the game for whatever reason, do so with dignity and grace.
22. The DM has final say in all game-related matters.
23. Read Rule 22 again.
A lot of the rules below for creating your character involve your character setting up his own private organization, and staying home to run it. The problems this creates eats up huge amounts of limited DM time to handle it, generate rules/tables for it, and balance it all against the rest of the campaign world - especially when you, the player, very reasonably want the benefits of all that hard work, money, and magic; plus the DM ends up having to create loads more NPCs that will be active in the campaign on a regular basis (loads more bookkeeping), plus there are the inevitable problems that arise when things don't work out quite like the player expected - usually because some other NPC or organization started sabotaging your character's efforts. The problem grows exponentially when several players start setting up their own private organizations. Suddenly, your poor DM spends all his planning time doing the bookkeeping for various player-run organizations instead of preparing for an adventure. Then there's the problem that the game mechanics don't directly support such bookkeeping-intensive, I-have-an-army-I-can-field-against-the-bad-guys kind of play.
So what do you do if you REALLY want to create and run your own guild, army, shop, castle, etc.? Simple: You get the other players' characters to help, then you talk to the DM. If all of the PCs decide to build one castle, fortify it, staff it, guard it, enchant it, etc., then the DM only has to deal with one set of bookkeeping. It's perfectly okay to do this - in fact, I encourage it! Some of the more unique locales in campaigns I've run are actually player creations (including several cities). The main thing is, avoid building a shop, guild, army, nation as your character's PRIMARY goal. These are fun things to do on the side, but should not take over the game - unless ALL the players are working towards that common goal.
If you end up with a guild, army, shop, castle, etc.: Either hire people to run the day-to-day operations while you're out adventuring, or sell it. The basic rule is as follows: Your business will make +/- 10% per game year, calculated at the end of the game year. Any extra money you put into it must be put in within the first half-year to be counted. If you've got powerful enemies, they may target your castle. If your shop is in a dangerous area, it may get damaged in a fire. If your guild has serious, cut-throat competition, there may be a takeover attempt. This is why you should enlist the rest of the party to help.
The main point is this: If 5 players are all trying to build 5 different (sometimes opposing) organizations, the DM will end the game. I do not have the resources or time to run 5 separate games.
1. Avoid creating a shopkeeper. Your PC is an adventurer. That means he goes out on adventures. He doesn't stay home running a shop. If your character wants to buy a shop, spend the money, buy the land/building/staff/stock, and make +/- 10% per game year, calculated at the end of the game year. Be aware that bad guys may attack the shop, natural disasters happen, a holy paladin may want to rent a spare room, and the city guards may like the place. Note: I've run adventures where the whole point was to build and run the shop, defending it from vandals, thieves, and tax collectors.
2. Avoid creating a guildmaster-wannabe. Your PC is an adventurer. She doesn't have time to run a guild. She can join a guild, but if she runs a guild, she doesn't have time to adventure. If your character's goal is to take over or make her own guild, your character won't have time to adventure. Note: I've run adventures where the whole point was to take over a guild for a third party.
3. Avoid creating an empire-builder. Your PC is an adventurer. You can have troops, guards, mercs, whatever, but if they go on the adventure with you, you have to split experience points and treasure with them. If you want to raise and lead an army to conquer X, your character won't have time to adventure while raising an army. Note: I've run campaigns where the whole point was to gather an army to conquer X. Please take note of the difference - ALL of the players were working towards gathering an army to conquer X.
4. Do not create a character with no curiosity. He'll die in four levels from not investigating things and refusing to ask questions. Your character will inevitably gain some enemies - either at character creation or through his actions. If your character doesn't ask some basic questions (why do those men with the red face scarves keep waving to me whenever I'm in town?), your character is going to get killed.
5. Do not ignore the DM's advice during character creation, especially with mechanics. If the DM says it's a bad idea, don't do it!
6. Do not abuse the DM's policy of allowing you to swap around feats, skills, and abilities over the course of the campaign. Pick a set, and stick with it, or roll up a new character. In other words, Don't redistribute your skills, feats, and attributes every other session.
7. NO PASSIVE CHARACTERS ALLOWED! If your character doesn't do anything, or always needs someone to show him what direction to take, he'll die of old age sitting in that bar waiting for the adventure to hit him over the head and kidnap him.
8. Do not create a character that you can't stand to see die. If you can't stand to see your character die, don't play that character.
9. I don't care if your character is the favorite adopted son of the Eternal Emperor, Heir to the Throne of High Brasil, and his favorite uncle is a 27th level Infernomancer who toys with demons from the depths at tea time. The most any of them will do for you is pay for a ransom, or provide a little information. Any contacts or benefits that weren't assigned to you by the DM, or weren't acquired by spending feats, skill points, lots of treasure/magic/blood, don't matter a whit no matter how cool the writeup was. If the DM doesn't put it in writing as follows, then it's just interesting background and will be used only for flavor text, character development, or plot hooks: "Yes, this is the benefit it gives you: XXX."
This means that no, your uncle won't let you borrow the ultimate demon slaying blade of might. He won't even give you a rock with a Light spell cast on it unless you've earned it during the game. You're an adventurer. You left home to make your own way in the world with no help from your family. If you've created a character who can call on financial/magical assistance from friends or family only as part of character background (in other words, you haven't spent feats, skill points, money or game time earning it), then send that character on home and roll up a new one. This time, make him an orphan who grew up with no family and all his friends died in the plague.
Now, does this mean that you can't create a character who knows at least one person in every town between here and Timbuktu? No, it doesn't. It does mean that your character had better have some social skills, and is probably going to start the game dead broke (guess who has all his money? -- The people he loaned it to!).
New players always ask about Player Knowledge versus Character Knowledge at some point. Heck, I've been playing this game for more years than I care to count, and I still have to deal with Player Knowledge vs. Character Knowledge.
You, the player, know many things that your character probably doesn't: Basic chemistry, weaving, car driving, marksmanship, computer hardware, cooking, cleaning, basic physics, and so forth - to name a few candidates. That's Player Knowledge - things that you, as a player, are quite knowledgeable about. Likewise, your character knows things that you, the player do not: How to cast a spell, archery, care of armor, horseback riding, how to intimidate an orc, how to smooth over a noblewoman's injured pride, and so forth (although considering some players' histories, they may well be proficient in some of those areas as well!). These are things that your character is quite knowledgeable about.
So, it's perfectly OK to say, "My character has a +12 in Intimidate, but I have no idea how to grill someone for information." You might want to take a stab (pun intended) at roleplaying some interrogation, even ask the other players how to go about it (some players have very, uh, INTERESTING, backgrounds). If it happens to be a subject that you, the player, simply cannot do (such as modern geography for your DM), then just say, "I try to intimidate him," and roll the dice. If you take a try at roleplaying, you may get a modifier for or against the attempt. This is an example of Character Knowledge in action.
Likewise, if you are an experienced horse rider and give lessons to other people, then you probably are a fair first-aid medic to horses. Your character, the city-bred thief who's never touched a horse in his life, doesn't have the first clue how to treat an overheated horse. Guess what? Your character can make the untrained skill check. This is another example of Character Knowledge (or rather, a lack of it) in action.
So, how can you apply your real-world knowledge in the game? Lots of ways. Here's an example. Your character might not even know which end of a horse has teeth. However, Bob's knight character has spent his entire life around horses. If Bob seems at a loss for how to handle a horse-situation, ask if he'd like some advice. If the answer is "Yes," give it. You'll make Bob's life a lot easier, help out the entire party, and the DM.
There are times when you shouldn't apply your real-world knowledge. For example, in this game, a Clydesdale (heavy warhorse) in full plate barding, carrying a half-ogre knight in full-articulated plate armor at a gallop, can jump over a 15' gap (with a lucky die roll) - something that is probably going to fail every time in the real world (I don't know if it will or not - I'm not an expert in medieval horsemanship, knighthood, and armor). This is NOT the time to announce to the gaming table at large that this is flat-out impossible. Heck, even after the game, it's rude to point out that this is flat-out impossible. If you want to get really technical, Dragons can't even fly - the size, weight, and muscular distribution is completely wrong for it. Always remember: This is a FANTASY GAME. Reality only applies as the rules, and DM, permit. Definitely do not confront another player (or the DM) with the statement that, "You can't do that. It just won't work." Well, maybe in the real world it won't work. But this game is run by a human DM using rules mechanics. And those rules and mechanics make mincemeat out of hard-core reality. What is the DC for walking on a cloud? It's a Balance DC of 120 (achievable at Epic levels - 20+, with magical items). That is something clearly impossible in the real world, yet in this fantasy game, it's not only possible, it becomes more possible the higher in level your character is.
And before you ask, No, gunpowder doesn't work in the D&D games I run. Nor can you make a chemical equivalent.
Most of all, look for (and ASK about) interesting ways you can apply your character's knowledge. I've had players use Bluff to draw opponents into the most interesting ambushes, use Perform to keep fellow party members distracted - and thereby preventing them from doing something foolish, use Balance to land on an opponents head in combination with Bluff to lure another opponent into clubbing his buddy on the noggin, and many other unlikely scenarios.
Also consider that your character is a native of the world the adventures take place in, so some things are automatic knowledge. This doesn't mean your character won't accidentally eat the wrong fruit and die of food poisoning (or worse), but it does mean the DM will warn you when your character is about to do something he/she/it knows is unsafe.
What does all this have to do with playing the game? Well, as a player, you may very well know that a monster you encounter has 5 Hit Dice (HD), a maximum of 45 hit points (hp), has a 10' reach, makes 3 attacks each round, and inflicts 1d6+2 hp damage with each attack. However, your character doesn't know all this unless your character has studied this particular kind of monster or encountered one before. If you use the knowledge that you, as a player have, to adjust your tactics, then you're using Player Knowledge - and that's a big no-no. This is also called "metagaming" - using your knowledge of the game rules (in this case, the monster's game statistics) to give your character an advantage.
Here's another, more extreme, example: You, the player, may very well overhear another player receive information about who the murderer is - and it turns out it's the butler standing next to you (the other player just found the essential clue from another NPC). If you have your character immediately try to apprehend him with no other cause than "he's acting suspicious", you've just used player knowledge. You've also just become very DM-unfriendly as a player. This is one of those situations where the DM may well forbid you from taking that action on the grounds that your character has absolutely no reason to suspect the butler over the maid, the stableboy, or any of the other NPCs who are suspects in the murder.
Now, there are situations where using Player Knowledge is a very good thing. For example: Bob, who plays the wizard and just went through a half-hour of roleplaying with an NPC, just found the critical clue that determines it was the butler who committed the murder and how he committed it. Bob has his wizard immediately return to his companions to pass on the information. The rogue, played by Karen, is the first friend he sees. Karen, the player watched and laughed her way through Bob's wizard finding out the critical clue. Bob then looks at Karen and says, "I whisper in your rogue's ear what I've found out." This is excellent use of Player Knowledge. Instead of spending half an hour reciting blow-by-blow the conversation where the wizard got the information - something the other players have already been through once - Bob summarized it nicely within the game context. Bob can even specify further what information he passes on: "I whisper in your rogue's ear what I've found out, except for the part about the maid being a spy for the Emerald Order."
Bottom line: Have Fun and Try New Things - especially if it looks neat or cool.
After the campaign ends, or you retire a character, what happens?
Aside from taking a deep breath, a long stretch, and (hopefully) asking, "When are we playing next?", your DM will probably take a break. I ask that you email me, or write down, what your character will do now that the campaign is over. I may have specific questions about what your character will do - usually in preparation for the next campaign in that world. But bear this in mind: In my world, your character is now an NPC under DM control. If you don't like that, speak up and your character will quietly exit stage left and no longer take part in world events.
If another campaign starts up in the same world, you may see your old character(s), assuming that you don't ask the DM to take them out. If, as a veteran player, you object to what your now-turned-NPC does, talk to the DM about it after the game.
Understand this: Your old character, unless you expressly state otherwise, is now an NPC in Avamor when the campaign ends. I will accept advice and ideas on what your character wants to do afterwards. If you can't stand the thought of your formerly heroic Paladin going insane and becoming a Blackguard, then this isn't the game for you. If we ever go back to playing old characters, we'll pick them up from the point where we left them - same levels, money, items, etc., with some possible increases or decreases due to time. But your old character becomes an NPC.
If you decree, however, that you don't want me to turn your character into an NPC, your character will quietly fade from Avamor, and appear no more.