The terminology
Ok, so now that you read the sample character, lets go over the terminology.
This will be hard without the book so I will do my best to explain as well as I can.
Attacks of Opportunity...
Also used as AoO, what this means when you provoke an attack of opportunity or they provoke an attack of opportunity, its basically that they left themselves opened in a way that you can pay them for being off-guard. Example, if a person is adjacent to you in the northern square. They decide to move north 2 squares instead of shifting. When they do that, they essentially turn their back to you, hence the attack of opportunity. Usually a Melee Basic attack Or a Melee Ranged attack can be used here.
Shifting...
What this means like above, instead of turning your back on the opponent, your just stepping cautiously in some way. For the Tiefling Rogue example with the amount of shifts the rogues do... think of it as them doing random acrobatic acts that makes sure they are guarded from attacks. If an enemy can attack when your shifting (which there are enemies that can do that), then you have to rely on any abilities that specifically say they don't provoke an Attack of Opportunity.
Actions...
All characters have 3 actions. Standard, Movement, Minor. It is ordered that way because Standard is the biggest, followed by movement, and minor is the smallest. You can do your actions in any order and you can change them. Example... you can make a standard into a movement or minor. You can change your movement into a minor, but not a standard. But a minor cannot be changed into anything else. A Free action can be any point. Talking is commonly used as a Free Action.
Immediate Reaction...
This means that after whatever Person A does, then you do. So if a power tells you that you hit Person A with an attack roll and succeed, then yours hits after theirs is resolved. This can hurt if your moved away from them to hit them.
Immediate Interupt...
This means that if Person A does their attack, in the middle of it, you stop them to do whatever your doing. This can save you in many ways anywhere from making you survive, move out of the way, or even kill the enemy all before they try to do their attack.
Bonuses...
When there is a bonus involved, be weary of what kind of bonus there is. You have racial bonus, class bonus, feat bonus, item bonus, and power bonus. Unless it says its an untyped bonus, then you can't stack different bonuses to each thing. Example:
Paragon defenses gives a +1 feat bonus to fort, reflex, and will. Epic Defenses give a +2 feat bonus to fort, reflex, and will. You will not get a +3 feat bonus to fort, reflex, and will. Instead, you will only have the +2 Feat bonus to fort, reflex, and will which means you should just retrain your paragon defenses feat or pick something else instead of Epic Defenses.
Melee Basic Attack...
What this means is that you use your strength and attack their ac (Str vs AC). It only deals 1 weapon damage + Str modifier. Everyone has this power regardless of the class you are. Its also At-Will. This power can be used say if your going to "charge" an enemy. This power can also be used in an AoO (Attack of Opportunity). You can change this via "Melee Training" feat. This will allow you to change it to something other than Strength. That feat was originally derived from "Intelligent Blademaster" feat from the Swordmage feats. It is a Standard to do.
Ranged Basic Attack...
Something that can be launched through some sort of means (Throwing, slinging, or firing via bow). This uses your Dexterity for the attack against their AC (Dex vs AC). It only deals 1 weapon damage + dex modifier. Everyone also has this power regardless of the class you are. It is also At-Will. It is a Standard to do, but you must wield something that is ranged based. That means throwing a sword COULD be done, but its up to the DM and you might be looking at best an improvised damage of 1d4 regardless of the weapon that isn't usually used as a Ranged type.
Attribute vs Defense...
When making an attack, its usually your stat modifier vs their defense type. For Defense, it is Armor Class or AC, followed by Fortification or Fort, Reflex or Ref, and Will which can't be summed up any further.
Score and Modifier...
Score when saying stat Score, we're looking at the final value of your stat. So a Con 16 is a Con SCORE 16. A Con MODIFIER (aka MOD) is the plus value given according to the rules. The + value starts at -1 when your at 8 and goes up every even number. So 10 = 0, 12 = +1, 14 = +2, 16 = +3. This mod value determines alot. Example, it determines your skill values. It also determines the bonus you get in your attack meaning a Dex vs AC is your Dex mod (example +4) vs AC. If you have additions after the modifier, it is added AFTER that. What goes after is half your level value + your proficiency bonus (If its a WEAPON keyword power) + your weapon/implement's enhancement bonus (usually its the + value after a weapon name ex. Duelist's Dagger +2).
Tier...
Everyone starts at Heroic Tier when first beginning a campaign. There is 3 tiers. Heroic, Paragon, and Epic. Heroic tier is levels 1-10. Paragon tier is levels 11-20. Epic tier is levels 21-30. At Heroic, think of yourselves as your a hero despite being good or evil in your actions, you have more power than your average citizens. Paragon tier introduces many new things such as paragon Path and Masterwork armor. Epic tier introduces the final stages for the character to develop. If a character reaches level 30, it usually will mark the end of his story and he can choose to stay with the group until it ends completly or retire right there and see the ending unfold for your character.
Paragon Path...
The Paragon Path is a choice of basis for your character. This can change what your "title" is in a way because it extends class features you started with. You don't always have to pick a paragon path. Here is an example of what is said here:
Wizard starts with-
-Arcane Implement Mastery - An Implement they choose as their preferred gives them a bonus.
-cantrips - They are basically non-attack powers that can be handy tools etc...
-Ritual Casting - Can perform rituals which is like a spell extension in a way, but can't really be used in battle.
-Spellbook - The ability to store your spells in a spellbook.
If one takes Wizard of the Spiral Tower path, then they get new additions to their class features between levels 11-16:
-Corellon's Implement - You choose an arcane implement that you specialize in aka preferred implement (refer to arcane implement mastery) and you can use your longsword as if it where that type of arcane implement. i.e. Wand is your Arcane Implement Mastery, then Wand is your Corellon's Implement which then means... your longsword is also a wand. Now you can cast your spells through it.
-Spiral Tower Action - You can spend an Action Point to regain one wizard encounter power you have already used instead of taking an extra action.
-Radiant Censure - When an enemy attacks your Will defense, the enemy takes radiant damage equal to your cha mod (minimum 1).
So instead of 4 class features, you now have 7. Paragon Path is actually optional and if you don't take it, there is another option of paragon multiclassing where you can multi-class into another class and take some powers from that other class.
Multiclass...
This is to say you dabble in another class. Example, you are the tiefling rogue. You decide to multiclass sorcerer. You dabble now in Sorcerer and gain specific things for doing so. However, since you don't gain the full benefit, it doesn't count as being 2 different classes. But if you do, it does count for choosing a paragon path that is in the other classes choices so you can choose a rogue's paragon path, a racial paragon path for the tiefling, or a sorcerer's paragon path, just as long as you meet the requirements.
Epic Destiny...
This is where the final stages take place for the character. Your character DOES NOT HAVE to take an Epic Destiny. If he does though, it will give him new choices such as new class features. It can possibly give him a new power or two. Also for taking it, you end up showing how your character ends.
Action Point...
Every character has 1 action point. If used, it will return after an extended rest or you reach a "milestone." What a milestone is is basically reaching 2 encounters (be it a skill challenge if the DM considers it OR a battle). Reaching a milestone increases your action point count. However, your action point will always be 1 after an extended rest. So if you somehow get 4 action points and you do an extended rest, you lose those extra action points. You can only use 1 action point per encounter, but using an action point will allow you to take an extra action. Some powers or feats out there will allow you to gain use of an action point without using your action point and not counting in the rules of 1 action point per battle. Thus, if you had a power that let you have an action point and must be used in the next turn in some way, then that doesn't count as using 1 action point per battle.
Keywords...
Every power you use has keywords. These keywords are told after the star-like symbol in the books and will tell you what keyword it is. When it comes down to weapons and implements, your looking for the keyword in the power: "Weapon" or "Implement" which determines if anything can be added. So if it says a throwing item has like "Arcane, Thunder" keywords but no weapon or implement keyword, you can't add your weapon's bonus or your Implement's bonus. If it says "Arcane, Thunder, Implement" keywords, then your implement can be used to add enhancements to your attack roll.
Saving Throws...
This is used to escape out of conditions that are on you. If your poisoned and a save ends it, then a 10 or higher will save you from being poisoned any further. Things can modify if you succeed or fail like giving a -2 to the saving throw of something, then you essentially need a 12 or higher to save since you normally won't have anything to help you save out of stuff. If you do have a bonus to saving out of something like a +5 against Charm Effects, then you need a 5 or higher.
Melee/ranged/blast/burst...
Melee means just that, melee. Usually it is within an adjacent square. Ranged is just that. It can be adjacent to you to as far as 20 squares away from you, but it will tell you the range, but being adjacent will usually force an attack of opportunity. Blast will blast outward from the originating square (so a blast 3 north of your square would be the North square and 2 squares north of it, the northwest square and 2 squares north of it, and the northeast square and 2 squares north of that). Burst will hit all adjacent squares outward (burst 3 would be 3 squares each direction).
There is much more, but then I think I'd be pushing the limits. Hopefully I provided enough to help you understand the previous guide of the sample character.
When you play enough of 4th ed, you can do more advanced stuff in 3.5 ed of D&D. Its why I call 4th ed the prelude to lead you into 3.5 ed. You will understand half the terminology and still get through.
