Prospecting
Defaults: IQ-5 or Geology (any)-4.
This is the skill of finding valuable minerals. A successful Prospecting roll lets you locate minerals, judge good ore from a small sample (and gauge its commercial value), and find water by using an "eye for country," as described for Survival skill. This skill is "applied geology," and requires on-site examination. Prospecting from a distance – using maps, instrument readings, and extrapolation – uses Geology skill instead.
Modifiers: Equipment modifiers; -1 in a new area of a familiar type, or -2 or more in an unfamiliar type of area, until you have been there for at least a month.