However, like with so many things in this game, there is no one best answer. (this is a good thing!)
If you have the Pathfinder blessing up, and maybe tracking and hunting magic, and you have high magic, and you explore cautiously, your explorers will mostly do OK anyway.
There are definately places on the map where there are benefits to having an explorer high in combat, bargaining, or magic (depending on the place) OK, some places may even look at other skills, or maybe some spots look at more than one skill. I can tell you that in one recent game I derived great joy in sending a very elderly Vingan with heroic magic off to the 'want high magic place' at the end of every storm season. If the leader isn't there in the sacred time, the game won't have them die of old age it seems, and she consistently brought us back good things from her trip. Unfortunately after about the fifth year of this something urgent came up at the end of storm season and we couldn't send her off, letting her finally die a peaceful death.
Also, if bandits stop your exploration party, a high combat can help to fight them off (helps if you have a strong party), but high bargaining can be used to bluff them, it seems (don't know if a strong party helps with this or not).
In short, it is always worth thinking about what the exploration is for before agreeing on the leader.
--Bryan
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