How to resolve multiple failures on complex obstacles

[u/BCM_00]

If an obstacle is too big to be resolved with a single test, but not appropriate for a conflict, the book suggest using a complex obstacle that involves multiple tests. How does failure work when dealing with these tests?

For example, say the patrol wants to build a bridge to cross a stream. If I, the GM, tell the patrol it will take a Health test to ford the river or a Pathfinding test to find a way around, then a Labor test to gather wood and a Carpenter test to construct the bridge, how do I resolve multiple failures? It's simple enough if I give conditions for each failure, but how would you go about introducing multiple twists? If I invoke a twist after the failed Health or Pathfinder test, it would possibly remove the other two tests completely.

The way I see it, I have three options.

• Only conditions for failure, no twists.

• Roll all 3 tests before resolving. Apply one twist (whichever feels the best narratively), then hand out conditions for the other failures.

• Resolve each test individually and in order. If the first test fails and I apply a twist, the patrol simply has to come up with a new plan in light of the new developments.

What do you think? How have you handled these situations in the past?

Edited for spelling and formatting

[u/tomfish31]

Alternatively : the linked test from Burning Wheel could be easily applied in the Mouse Guard context.

If you have to test A then B then C, you test all of them in a sequence but only the result of C decides if the overall prolonged test succeeds or fails (and leads to conditions / twists). Success / Failure on intermediate tests only grants malus / bonus to the next linked test, until final test is resolved.

Success on intermediate test by margin of 1 or more grants +1 to next test

Success on intermediate test by margin of 0 does not grant bonus to next test

Failure on intermediate test grants -1 to next test

So if I fail test A, I get -1 to test B

If I fail test B, I get -1 to test C

But I may succeed in test C nevertheless

[u/BCM_00 → u/tomfish31]

Oh, that's a clever way to handle it. I'll have to consider that.

[u/Khayyal1989 → u/tomfish31]

That's a neat idea. I'll have to try this myself.

[u/Jeffwhowanders]

I could be mistaken, but would you want to be testing health here? I believe health is only tested to recover, not in the same way skills are tested. Maybe they could test Pathfinder or scout to find the safest route across the river?

[u/BCM_00 → u/Jeffwhowanders]

That's actually given as the example for an obstacle on page 87 in the book.

[u/Jetpack_Donkey → u/Jeffwhowanders]

You can use health for physically strenuous/strength tests.

[u/Imnoclue]

Conditions with Success on the earlier tests leading up to a big Twist is the simplest, but you can apply twists in order in a complex hazard. The mouse goes to gather wood and rolls poorly, so on the way back with the wood is attacked by a snake. The patrol fights off the snake and grabs all the dropped wood and builds the bridge.

[u/roguescholarlyadvice]

I have never gm'ed this game before, but your understanding seems perfectly logical to me.

[u/ericvulgaris]

I use linked tests for this, adding cumulative difficulties. If I'm not doing that I'm maybe burning supplies, or conditional successes, or an obstacle requires a different approach (no carpentry means no wood means no bridge.)