D&D 4E Cooperative 4e World Building "Game"

[CleverName]

I'm working on a method to help my players have input into the elements of my new 4e campaign setting. Here is my first draft for my players, please comment.

The setting is called Maelstrom. During its golden age the as-yet-unnamed Empire was the hub for a multi-planar society -- basically dozens of variant worlds with some shared culture and trade. About 70 years ago the worlds collapsed upon each other in a cataclysmic maelstrom. Reality bent, broke and welded itself back together.

The game is not about "fixing" the world, it is about the aftermath.

I am working on a small town, Port Tellen, and will come up with a roughly county-sized map with some filled in spots and homes for the various races, but most of the larger campaign map will be empty.



Maelstrom: the World Creation Game

The object of the game is to come up with fun and thematically appropriate story elements for the Maelstrom setting. (See the section on theme, below.) A story Element could be the idea for a settlement, an NPC, a figure from history, an organization, or an interesting terrain feature. It is also hoped that you will fit some of these elements into your character’s history and elaborate upon them.

This “game” won’t be done in a single session. Sessions will be played out as long as everyone would like, usually until a set number of story elements are created. then we will repeat these sessions over a period of weeks as the world comes together.

The Maelstrom game will be played with two decks of cards – Elements and Twists. The Element cards have some flavor text, a theme, and perhaps an example of a story element written upon them. Twists have suggested complications which can modify a story element.

Each player also has a stack of voting chips. Everyone starts with 5 of these.

First Round

Everyone is dealt three Element cards, one Twist and 5 voting chips. Each player chooses one card and comes up with an idea based on that Element. Players take turns laying down the card and explaining their idea. Each player then votes by placing a chip on the cards/ideas she likes the best. A player must vote for at least one Element and may cast up to three votes in any combination.
The top two piles become elements of the game.

Twisting

The winning story elements are left (with their piles) on the game board. Each player, except those with winning elements, may then proffer a Twist. Twists cannot destroy an idea, but add complications to the original person’s element. Perhaps the Order of the Secret Flame (a society of Paladins) has an infamous member? Just as with Elements, everyone gets a vote, with one twist chosen for each element.

End of the Round

The winning Element and Twist cards are removed from play. All other cards are added back to their respective piles (Elements and Twists) and reshuffled. Vote tokens are removed.

Following Rounds

Again, everyone is dealt three Element cards, one Twist and 5 voting chips. Players who did not have an Element or Twist chosen during the previous round may choose to take an additional vote chip, Element or Twist card for the next round. Additionally they may choose to give one player a card from their hand, and blindly select a like card from another player before voting and elements are revealed.

Homework Round!

Each player with a winning element must write up at least a paragraph explaining the element and incorporating the Twist. The Twister must help with this. The winner then turns in the write up the next week

The Themes of Maelstrom

When coming up with Element or Twist ideas, remain true to the themes of the game. These themes are partly 4e-driven and partly of my own construct.

Malestrom is fantastic: It’s okay to come up with elements that are not analogous to real-world cultures or people. Embrace the amazing, even the weird. This is a land where adventures might find themselves overshadowed by the flying ruins of a city or journeying through mirrored tunnels.

Danger abounds: Cults meet in marbled rooms, tentacles move just beneath the oily effluvia choking the sewers, and dragons sleep on mounds of horded gold and the bones of thieves.

Maelstrom is both ancient and new: Maelstrom consists of dozens of worlds folded together. Imagine a long misty valley with ruins at its north and south ends. The tower is well remembered in the village below. A hundred years ago Baron Alde constructed it, though his vale no longer boarders their own... The second appeared after the cataclysm. It’s a temple formed of slightly luminescent green stone. While the structure is large and multi-stored, it was built for creatures of smaller stature and contains no stairs – instead ramps and tunnels wind through its alien innards.

Maelstrom is a land of extremes: Many of the peoples of Maelstrom have learnt not to trust reality. The aftermath of the cataclysm has polarized many persons and societies. Some have embraced the uncertainty of it all, a smaller number of these have been driven to madness or into the dark cults who worship mindless horrors. Others have reacted oppositely, embracing anything that promises stability – no matter the cost. Again a subset of these have become hopelessly authoritarian, or sold their souls to dictators who promise peace beneath their heels.

Maelstrom is wild and mysterious: The civilizations of Maelstrom are small, and fragmented. The most advanced might be a confederation of city-states and the villages whom pay them tribute. The term “nation” is but a word, or perhaps a dream. While a city might have a king or queen, they are but monikers. No fully-developed, functional feudal system exists. This game that stresses the individual; there are few higher authorities that are likely to help you.

No one race or culture dominates: Most people only rarely travel to neighboring villages, and then only if they are within a few hours travel. Some few merchants may travel well-known routes that take them days from their homes – but then they rarely camp away from a neighboring village.

Civilization inevitably leads to degeneration: The people have watched many kingdoms rise and fall – ruins dot the landscape, the husks of titanic machines poke out of bogs, etc.

The scale or scope of an adventure will be local or personal rather than epic: Conflicts should be between local lords, rather than between empires. The scale of the first few story arcs will encompass counties, perhaps states, but not nations, the world or planes. Most of the dangers are personal rather than epic. You are not expected to solve the problems of the world, but save your village from the ravening horde, for example.


(I also posted this in rpg.net. I will put up the Element and Twist cards, if you want.)

 

[Siberys]

I'd like 'em, if only so I can develop a set for my own use.

 

[weem]

Very creative, nice job

I would be interested in seeing the cards as well out of curiosity. I would also love to hear how it goes for you and your group after running some sessions.

 

[the Jester]

Interesting. I really like the approach- it might be a cool way to do all kinds of cooperative storytelling and such.

Please post the cards you make.

 

[Dire Human]

If I were a guy like me, and I am, I'd change the game so that you'd have equal numbers of Element and Twist cards (4/4, say), but you could play an additional Element in place of (or including someone else's) Twist.

For example:

Player 1: "I play the Church Element card. The Church or Moradin is a powerful force in the nation, driving much of the politics and even going so far as to declaring war on enemies of the state from time to time."

Player 2: "Well, I'm playing the Fire Element card with your church. Let's see... Oh, I've got it, they have a strong association with forges. In fact, in those holy wars they manufacture their own weapons, and bless them primarily with holy fire-type spells and enchantments and stuff."

Player 3: "OK, my turn? Alright, I've got the Oppression Twist card, so I'm going to make your Church a bit overbearing when it comes to daily life. And, hell, why not; there's an inquisition going on at the time."

Or, let's go the other way with it!

Player 1: "I play the Church Element card. On top of a harsh and twisting road in this mountain, there's a temple that trains first-level Clerics and Monks equally. It's an equal-opportunity monastery, I guess."

Player 2: (laughs) "Well, I'm playing the Fire Element card with your church. Your 'mountain' is now a volcano, and it ties in with the training. Hot coals, tightropes over lava pits, that sort of thing; a literal Training from Hell, you know?"

Player 3: "Alright, I've got the Oppression Twist card. Let's see... The reason so many Monks and Clerics and stuff need to be trained is that the volcano's a breeding ground for Red Dragons that secretly run the monastery, and every year they either need tribute or sacrifices. So former students return to bring back treasure from adventuring or evil people they've captured that deserve to be eaten."

 

[CleverName]

Maelstrom Element Cards

You may notice a lack of political correctness, or at least an indulgence in the lurid language of the pulps that gave birth to swords and sorcery literature. This is on purpose, to get your thematic juices flowing. The text is meant as a starting point, not a prison. Trust your reaction to it.

The idea is to print these out on cards, perhaps with some thematic art, and distribute them to everyone. (I would like to have at least 30 cards.) Each person will then have the opportunity to give some number of cards to another player. Then we use the cards as inspiration for sites on the map. Elaborate upon the card’s theme to create an NPC, site, city, or group within the setting. You may wish to use these as inspiration for your character’s background, or starting points for games you might run in Maelstrom.

1. An Ancient Abode of Evil: This place was purged of evil long ago, but once again has begun to stir. Perhaps this is a sunken temple, once the home of a cold-blooded and malevolent cult, this sprawling complex was abandoned hundreds of years ago. Since that time a foul swamp has sprung up around the temple, which is slowly sinking into the mire. Explorers claim that beneath the water-filled hallways of the ancient temple an even older evil is stirring in the slime.

2. The Animal People: The beast people are a blending of one humanoid race with some other animal or creature, such as minotaurs or centaurs. Many of these creatures and their societies are brutish in nature, others are quite the opposite.

3. Astral Influence: The Astral Sea supports the dominions of the gods and acts as the dark river flowing to the pits of hell. The powers of this place often influence the world, or manifest in portals formed from shafts of light, rainbows, or the yawning mouths of caverns. This might represent such a portal, or a person or group tied to one of the gods or devils that make their homes along the silver sea.

4. The Barrow: This is a tomb of some long-dead hero or figure of infamy. Perhaps it contains the treasures and corpse of the person, perhaps the power has attracted others to the barrow or some curse keeps its wealth intact.

5. The Beast Lords: The beast lords are known for some reliance upon or special rapport with powerful and/or exotic creatures. They may ride the world’s best horses, or command creatures that swim through stone. This relationship colors nearly every aspect of their society, though that society may be civilized or barbaric.

6. Caravanserai: This place is known as a great market place, a place where many different kinds of people meet, perhaps drawn by its location as a crossroads of trading routes. This merchant’s roost could also have a darker side: a goblin market or a thieves’ bazaar. It may be a city known for its marketplaces, a literal crossroads, or a precinct within a larger metropolis.

7. Cathedral: This temple is notable for its tremendous size and the commitment of time and material to finish it. Such things only occur under the direction of an absolute despot or due to a grand commitment by the faithful.

8. City of the Lost Gods: Some dark force preserves the city, or prowls its ruins. Often those that worship the gods are now cursed to never leave or have degenerated after centuries of exposure and inbreeding. Perhaps they await saviors from without, or jealously guard their god.

9. The Dark Cult’s Fane: This location is treasured by a cult that worships inhumanly evil forces, elemental evil from some primordial age or twisted beings from beyond this reality. This place may contain a thriving cult hidden behind a benign mask, or one open in its profanity. The Star of Tears is suck a place. Here Five (or six, or eight) ancient towers surround a central pillar in this secluded mountain vale. All are of a strangely alien architecture. No one knows who built them, or why, or when. Most folk shun the place today, but a tribe of (kobolds, bugbears, humans, halflings) has recently taken up residence in the valley. At night, strange bonfires burn . . .

10. Dragonborn: Once masters of the greatest empire, the dragonborn are now wandering bands of soldiers, adventurers, and spell-slingers. Though many are honorable, this vagabond race was teetering on the brink of irrelevance before the cataclysm. Perhaps this disaster can be used to resurrect the greatness that was once theirs.

11. Dwarves: Dwarves, like many other races have glorious pasts, but like the humans, they are builders by nature and their long labors have rewarded them with slow but steady climb from the brink of ruin. Perhaps more than any other race, the dwarves are poised for another bid for greatness.

12. Eladrin: Just as swaths of the Feywild have found themselves grafted to the world, so have its most inscrutable fey folk begun to move more freely about the world. The gray elves are both feared and revered by many common folk, who are entranced by their grace, but suspicions of their obvious magical nature and ties to the twilight land of the Fey. Eladrin are often reserved and scholarly, unlike their moody cousins.

13. Elemental Majesty: This is a place tied to the four primordial elements of creation and the awesome power they represent. Perhaps it is a place tied to the realm of Elemental Chaos – they place of unending creation and destruction – a place that sees the world above as an aberration. The Primordials which dwell there would gladly return all of creation to the original state of the universe.

14. Elves: Elves are creatures of the great wood. Their passions are quick and mercurial as a breeze in the treetops. They are creatures of the wilderness – especially the deep forest where the love to hunt. They are a nomadic people attuned to the provender of nature and the sweep of seasons.

15. Faerie Intrusion: The Feywild is a land of arcane power, filled with enchantment and magnificence. It is home to creatures noble and heartless, beautiful and terrifying. It is the wild heart of the fey.

16. Fen: These watery woodlands often house forgotten cities, ancient temples, and the nests of fearsome monsters. They might be
the last refuge of a dying race, or the hideout of criminals.

17. The Ghost Town (Branwyn’s Folly): This ghost town lies well beyond the last human settlement on the edge of the deep wilderness. Branwyn McMann founded the small mining village over a hundred (five, fifty) years ago, following rumors of a major silver discovery in the Bleak Hills. Local custom held that the caverns beneath the hills were dangerously close to the Underdark (or Shadowfell, or Feywild.) Despite being warned that disaster was certain to follow any attempt to mine or live in the hills, Branwyn managed to convince several dozen families to relocate with promises of riches untold. The last trader to visit “Branwynton” as it was called reported that not a single living thing was to be found in the town. No bodies, no remains, no sign of a struggle – but no people, no livestock, nothing.

18. Goblin Market: We must not look at goblin men, / We must not buy their fruits: / Who knows upon what soil they fed / Their hungry thirsty roots?" / "Come buy," call the goblins / Hobbling down the glen. This may be a marketplace for banned items, a meeting place for evil, or a dark business consortium.

19. The Grotto: This is a place of underground wonder, a garden of stone and crystal. Perhaps instead it is a chthonic temple -- a realm of the dark gods best forgotten.

20. The Guildhall: This may be a traditional confraternity of artisan workers, masons, carpenters, carvers, glassworkers, etc. Each guild controls secrets of traditionally imparted technology, the "arts" or "mysteries" of their crafts – which in a fantasy setting may incorporate magic. A guild may dominate a city, village or act a secret society of kingmakers.

21. Halflings: The river folk are far more numerous than they seem. While always on the move, Halflings move with their families, clans and traditions. Though the Cataclysm affected them as much as any other, they were among the first to being knitting the fractured lands back together again. Since roads were no longer trustworthy, Halflings had to find out where their new river highways led.

22. The Haunted Wood: This forest is known for some kind of inimical force. Its malevolence may be directed at all or only at a certain group.

23. Humans: humans are known for their versatility and unmatched energy and boldness. Their empires and many and varied, bound together by their relatively short lives. Their great abilities are always betrayed by their weakness; more than any other race, humans are known for their corruptibility.

24. Incongruous Terrain: When the world folded in on each other some biomes were stranded in places where they should not have been, and perhaps cannot exist for long. Imagine a massive forest from the Feywild appearing in the middle of a desert. With nothing to sustain the trees much of the forest has withered and died; only the persistent efforts of the original inhabitants keep small oases alive and growing.

25. Mercenary Hall: This may be a famous mercenary unit, or a place known for hiring mercs.

26. Monuments to the Unknown: Detail some strange monument to a past that no longer exists. Does it have guardians? What secrets does it point to? Consider the Road of a Thousand Heroes. Along the sides of ten miles of the great cost road we can find massive statues depicting warriors and adventurers of all races and types - including some unknown peoples. In the center of this stretch is an inn made from the fragments of several of these statues. It is run by a mysterious figure whose whole body is always covered in robes.

27. The Mountain Hall: This is a mountain fastness, above or below ground. Perhaps it is fortress of lost titanic race or a city of dwarven kings. This site may be a ruin or an active site.

28. Necropolis: This may be a huge funerary site, the size of a city. Or, it may be literal city of the dead, home to an undead civilization. It may be one ruled by secret undead masters, or quite openly by the undead. Most likely, it is a place of evil.

29. Oriental Masters: These people or this place hearkens to the exotic pleasures, dissoluteness and, ultimately the corruption a society that has become too subtle and decadent to manage and has begun to feed upon itself. Yet, flawed as they are, the true rulers of this realm are manipulators without peer in the land.

30. Outside In: From the depth of the cosmos alien minds regard the world with covetous eyes – one whose glance burns away sanity, ones whose tentacled caress turns matter to ash or warps it into blasphemous reflections of itself. These are the beings of Far Realm, the Outside and their progeny, the aberrations. They too have places tied to them, and their servants in our world.

31. Ruin of the Great Beast: All that marks this ancient battle site is the huge, weathering skeleton of the great wyrm (or giant, or other titanic creature) that met its end here. From time to time antique coins, buckles, arrowheads and other bits of ironmongery turn up in the dusty soil around the skeleton, testament to the conflict.

32. Shadow Incursion: The Shadowfell is the dark reflection of this world, and especially since the cataclysm, its influence sometimes spills out into this world. It is not a place of unremitting evil, but one touched by darkness, death and illusion.

33. The Shrine of the Lost God: This site remains a mystery for those who know of it. Is the place a truly holy site, or has myth led to mere superstition? Such a place is the Skull of Gund. Sages disagree is to whether this truly titanic skull is the actual, fossilized remains of some incomprehensibly gigantic creature, or instead an amazing likeness painstakingly carved out of the rock itself by some ancient and unknown people. Either way, it has been worshipped for centuries by a tribe of surprisingly peaceful hill giants, who claim that only their reverence keeps the malevolent spirit of the skull from manifesting.

34. Tieflings: Proof of man’s hubris and corruptibility, these beings are descended from diabolic pacts made long ago between men and the forces of evil. Now they move about in small groups – knowing better than to associate in large numbers lest someone call for another purge...just in case the foul ones are in league again.

35. The Tower: The tower represents the home of some isolated genius or genii. This may be a sanctuary, prison or tomb. Great knowledge or power is associated with the tower.

36. Wasteland: This blighted area was once verdant and productive but now lies despoiled. What Eden was this place and what happened to it?

 

[CleverName]

If I were a guy like me, and I am, I'd change the game so that you'd have equal numbers of Element and Twist cards (4/4, say), but you could play an additional Element in place of (or including someone else's) Twist.

Cool idea, I will re-think and prob allow element cards to be used as twists.

Thanks!

 

[CleverName]

Maelstrom Twist Cards

These cards are mostly recycled from various RPG decks I have made (stolen) from the past. Even though many of them use the words “character” or “person” their events can also be used for organizations, etc. Most come from an old Lion Rampant whimsy deck.

1. Abrupt Change of Events: Suddenly things are not happening the way they were a moment ago. Alliances switch, secrets are revealed, and new information surfaces.

2. Added Animosity: The ill-will between characters grows past current levels. This animosity can be openly expressed or harbored secretly in the heart.

3. Bad Tidings: Someone gets bad news. It might affect play or it might be news of distant and still important events.

4. Bizarre Coincidence: Two or more things come together against incredible odds. Old friends (and enemies) run into you in the supermarket.

5. Change of Heart: A character's feelings change and alter a decision. Killers take prisoners and hassled hoteliers decide to make room for you after all.

6. Charity: Someone is struck by compassion and openly shares her largess with the less fortunate. Often this is done with the belief that they will be repaid in their hour of need.

7. Corruption: The noblest intentions often give way to the basest desires. This person or group is now tainted by corruption, perhaps from within, or without. While often diabolic in nature, it may be of a more mundane source.

8. Double Jeopardy: Failure carries a double penalty. It could mean the normal penalty doubled, but it could also mean a penalty in addition to the normal one.

9. Envy: Someone covets something that another person has. The envy could be expressed as an outright attempt to get the object of desire or something more subtle. No matter her wealth, status or accomplishments, there is always someone else who seems to have more, and it’s coveted.

10. Faith: Someone evidences faith in others or in the universe. Note this is not blind confidence but evidences in some way that no matter how horrifying the world might be, everything has its place in the Plan and ultimately serves that Purpose.

11. Fortitude: A character stands up for his beliefs — holding the course no matter how tempting it may be to relent or give up. By staying the course — regardless of the cost — he proves the worth of his ideals.

12. Glutton: Someone acts in a way to indulge his appetites to the exclusion of everything else. It’s about dedicating oneself to sensual pleasures or chasing the next high.

13. Greed: Desire for wealth diverts a character from normal activity. The object of this desire can be specific (e.g. a certain necklace) or general (e.g. $$$!). Like the envious, the greedy are never satisfied with what they have. Everything is taken to excess.

14. Emotional Release: Strong emotions are let out. What are the emotions, and what triggers their sudden eruption? Is it a healthy release or a wild tempest?

15. Erratic Behavior: Someone or something exhibits wild, unexpected behavior.

16. Error of Judgment: Someone's better judgment fails. The trouble that ensues depends on the specific error that is made.

17. Extreme Caution: Someone exercises extreme caution. Is the caution necessary, or is it exaggerated? What is the disadvantage from using so much caution?

18. Hope: In spite of current circumstances, someone shows hope. Being hopeful means believing that evil and misfortune cannot prevail, no matter how grim things become.

19. Horrible Failure: What was a simple failure becomes a disaster. Attempts to persuade people backfire, arrows strike the wrong targets, and the wrong demons get conjured.

20. Internal Conflict: Conflicts arise within a person or within a group. How did these conflicts come about? How can they be resolved? Are they hidden? Poorly hidden?

21. Joy: Delight floods a character, making the world seem beautiful. What brings about this wonderful feeling?

22. Justice: Wrongs cannot go unpunished. Someone stands up for protecting the innocent and confronts inequity, even in the face of great personal danger.

23. Lasting Impression: An impression is made, or an old one is reborn. Emotional experiences return to a character affecting actions or something happens that will leave an impression for years (e.g. a scar).

24. Lust: A lusty individual is driven by a passion for something (usually sex, but it can be a craving for virtually any experience or activity) that he acts upon without consideration for the needs or feelings of others.

25. Misguided Love: Love affects a character in ways others fail to approve of. The character may seem out of control. (To the lover of course, the love is true and wonderful; to others, it is misguided.)

26. Misplaced Trust: Undeserved trust is or has been placed in someone or something. "Faithful" hirelings desert, "sturdy" ropes break, and politicians are believed.

27. Moral Dilemma: A character is faced with a moral question. What should the character do? What are the personality traits or personal values that make the decision to difficult?

28. Ominous Omen: Something suggests future evil, an event that portends calamity, misfortune, or death. The players might not understand the significance of the omen.

29. Party Crashers: Someone or something shows up to the chagrin or disadvantage of someone. Unwelcome relatives and hated enemies are possibilities.

30. Pride: Pride is the vice of self-confidence run amok.. A prideful person refuses to back down when his decision or reputation is called into question, even when the evidence is clear that he is in the wrong.

31. Prudence: Someone or some creature evidences wisdom and restraint above rash action and thoughtless behavior. One maintains integrity and principles by moderating actions and avoiding unnecessary risks.

32. Temperance: Moderation in all things is the secret to happiness, so says the doctrine of Temperance. It’s all about balance. Everything has its place in a person’s life, from anger to forgiveness, lust to chastity.

33. Parting of Ways: People or things go their separate ways. The parting can be happy or sorrowful, anticipated or sudden. Depending on the circumstances, those who part might meet again.

34. Personality Clash: The personalities of two characters come into conflict. The cause of the clash and the gravity are up to you. How could the conflict be resolved?

35. Pity: Sympathetic sorrow for another person affects a character's actions. This pity might provoke action or merely set a mood.

36. Pivotal Decision: Someone is faced with a decision that will affect something dramatically. A potential ally chooses sides, or a leader chooses a plan of action.

37. Second Chance: Someone gets a second chance. Maybe that bullet missed the heart after all, or maybe the character realizes something that allows a second skill attempt. You must give the reason.

38. Sloth: Someone is very lazy. Guards become lax, policemen neglect their duties, and bartenders give you slow service. In a difficult situation, the slothful person simply refuses to do anything,

39. Something Missing: Something that should be here is not. The seriousness of the lack depends on what is missing. It could be your sword or a friend you were supposed to meet.

40. Special Circumstances: Unusual conditions change the normal course of events for good or ill. The circumstances can be personal, such as character's mood, impersonal, such as the weather.

41. Spectacular Success: What was a normal success becomes spectacular. Those rare, unexplainable feats are now possible.

42. Sudden Reversion: Suddenly someone or something reverts to the way it used to be. People revert to earlier patterns of behavior and problems go back to the way they were at the beginning.

43. Tables Turn: Something in the situation reverses, an advantage turns in to a disadvantage, a disadvantage turns into an advantage. It is a surprise to all.

44. Things Are Not As They Seem: Characters have been deceived, perhaps without malicious intent. The truth need not be known now.

45. Turn for the Worse: Things were going well, but suddenly something comes up and changes things for the worse. What is the change? How can those affected overcome the new problem?

46. Ulterior Motive: A character has motives besides those that are already known, and the ulterior motive can conflict with the surface motive.

47. Unexpected Aid: Much to your surprise, aid shows up. Aid could be anything from fog that helps you sneak into an enemy camp to the arrival of the marines. But does this aid have a price?

48. Unexplained Consequence: Someone's actions have results that were not, perhaps could not have been, foreseen. The result can be good or bad, minor or extreme.

49. Unexplained Event: Something happens. You don't know why.

50. Vivid Detail: Break into the storyline to describe something in detail so the whole group can share the image. You cannot directly change the course of events, but you might inspire the GM.

51. Wrath: Wrath rises in a character toward someone or something. Even if the anger can be held in check, it will affect the person's behavior. In most cases the reaction is far out of proportion to the perceived slight.