@CollectorOfMyst You have it as a scout ability as well as having a compass as your personal item (personal items are drawn randomly).
Also I think your compass is a little different in that it is just for exploration tokens, rather then exploration tokens
and encounters.
Basically, during each adventure:
You can use your compass once to redraw an exploration token you don't like.
You can use your tracking ability once to redraw either an exploration token or an encounter you don't like.
I know it's pretty confusing since the item is quite similar to your ability and I forgot to add it to your shillsheet (Despite my favourite class in this game being Scout, I play it all the damn time, should of noticed :_:)
On Encounters:Encounters can be good or bad. The Prospector was an encounter, for example, and he gave Hawkeye Harold loot. The "scavengable dynamite" that's still active in the mining room is also an encounter, but you could get dynamite or blow everyone up.
But yes, some of them are fights or ambushes. For example, if Dan had failed his skillcheck with the Prospector, he would of exploded into tentacles which would then have attacked the posse.
On Skill Checks: Generally the only time you do skill rolls is when an encounter happens.
But you are right in that there is an optional advanced room rule where everytime you draw a room, you also draw the corresponding encounter card immediately. This is a tutorial mission so we're only using the basic rules, but after this mission the posse can decide if there are any of the advanced rules they'd like to use to make things more interesting.