Many of the feats in Sandstorm rely on knowing the composition of surrounding soil and work to best advantage only if the ground is made up of or covered by a layer of ash, dust, loose earth, or sand.
It can be assumed that most waste environments, whether outside or within a ruin, have either a sandy surface or a requisite layer of ash, dust, loose earth, or sand 1 or more inches thick.
In other environments, the following table can be used to make this determination.
| Environment | Chance of One Inch Loose Soil* | Environment | Chance of One Inch Loose Soil* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desert | 100% | Hills | 60% | |
| Desert ruin/dungeon | 100% | Hills ruin/dungeon | 50% | |
| Desert dwelling/city | 90% | Hills city/dwelling | 40% | |
| Forest | 80% | Mountains | 50% | |
| Forest ruin/dungeon | 70% | Mountains ruin/dungeon | 40% | |
| Forest dwelling/city | 60% | Mountains dwelling/city | 30% | |
| Plains | 70% | Marsh | 10% | |
| Plains ruin/dungeon | 60% | Marsh ruin/dungeon | 10% | |
| Plains dwelling/city | 50% | Marsh dwelling/city | 10% | |
| * Material can be ash, dust, grit, loose earth, or sand. | ||||
Source: Sandstorm, page 51.