On pages 422-423 of BWG, there are Obstacles to maneuver based on weather, terrain and light.
So, if you have fog on the battlefield (+2 Ob to maneuver), and your opponent gets 3 successes on whatever maneuver they attempt, is your Obstacle 5?
What if both teams fail their obstacle due to terrain, weather and light? Do you compare successes to see who won, but the winner has no margin of success for extra actions?
More simply: what are the Obstacle modifiers to Maneuver in Range and Cover for?
I haven’t checked this out in a bit, but my first instinct is that if your opponent got three successes, you’re at Ob 3 - the would presumably be dealing with the same penalty you are, so they would have to spend 2 successes overcoming the same Ob 2 Penalty. So your Ob is their net successes (3 - 2 Ob Penalty =) 1 + your Ob penalties 2 (Fog) = 3.
On the other hand, if they aren’t suffering the same penalty for whatever reason - Let’s say it’s dim lighting rather than fog and that you’re Humans vs Orcs. Orcs ain’t bothered by darkness! They get three successes, and that is added to your conpleat obstacle 3 + 2 = 5.
Oh wow, it just clicked to me. In a versus test its the margin of success that acts as the obstacle. The terrain, weather and light is an obstacle to the maneuver test before comparing the margin of success between teams. It isnt added onto the margin of success after rolling, its eating successes.
Unless one team, as you said, does not suffer the penalty. Then its added after the fact, like human vs orc in darkness.
Ok, so if both teams then get 0 or less successes, is that a tie, or do you compare negatives to see who failed the least?
Like if there is Ob 2 from fog, and one team rolls 2 successes and 1 rolls 1, and both are affected by the fog, then the fisr team got 0 net successes and the second team got -1 net successes. Did the first team win, or did they tie at 0?
I believe both teams have failed to surmount their obstacles and simply cannot penetrate the fog. You both have an intent to outmaneuver the other team through the fog - you both failed (that is, lost); reveal your next action.
I might narrate the least losing team’s failure a little more favorably. “[Second Team], you creep through the fog onto what you believe is your target, but you soon find yourself staring down the same old, lightning bitten oak you passed when you started your maneuver. [First Team], with keen eye and ready ear, you peer out into the white blanket before you. You catch glimpses of the enemy through the fog, but each time you ready your bow, the fog returns and the moment passes.”
I’m not particularly well-versed with Range and Cover, though, so if someone else comes by and says different, maybe give their take priority.