Bake optional skill bodies into worker director prompts (#676)

Workers lack use_skill, so bake first-party optionalSkills into the
system prompt. Keep skywalker name-only. Drop interview from plan so
ask_operator guidance is not baked into a leaf that cannot ask.

Author: TheGreatAxios

src/agent/directors/bake-skills.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,60 @@
+import { describe, expect, test } from "bun:test";
+import { readFileSync } from "node:fs";
+import { join } from "node:path";
+import { formatBakedOptionalSkills, loadBakedSkillBody } from "./bake-skills.js";
+
+function stripFrontmatter(raw: string): string {
+  if (!raw.startsWith("---")) return raw.trim();
+  const end = raw.indexOf("\n---", 3);
+  if (end === -1) return raw.trim();
+  return raw.slice(end + 4).trim();
+}
+
+const styleOnDisk = stripFrontmatter(
+  readFileSync(
+    join(import.meta.dirname, "../../../plugins/corbits-skills/skills/style/SKILL.md"),
+    "utf8",
+  ),
+);
+const philosophyOnDisk = stripFrontmatter(
+  readFileSync(
+    join(import.meta.dirname, "../../../plugins/corbits-skills/skills/philosophy/SKILL.md"),
+    "utf8",
+  ),
+);
+
+describe("loadBakedSkillBody", () => {
+  test("returns first-party style and philosophy bodies matching SKILL.md", () => {
+    expect(loadBakedSkillBody("style")).toBe(styleOnDisk);
+    expect(loadBakedSkillBody("philosophy")).toBe(philosophyOnDisk);
+  });
+
+  test("returns undefined for unknown skill names", () => {
+    expect(loadBakedSkillBody("does-not-exist-xyz")).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+});
+
+describe("formatBakedOptionalSkills", () => {
+  test("includes named bodies under Baked skill guidance", () => {
+    const text = formatBakedOptionalSkills(["style", "philosophy"]);
+    expect(text).toContain("# Baked skill guidance");
+    expect(text).toContain("### style");
+    expect(text).toContain("### philosophy");
+    expect(text).toContain(styleOnDisk);
+    expect(text).toContain(philosophyOnDisk);
+    expect(text).toContain("use_skill is not mounted on workers");
+  });
+
+  test("skips missing names without inventing content", () => {
+    const text = formatBakedOptionalSkills(["does-not-exist-xyz"]);
+    expect(text).toBe("");
+  });
+
+  test("partial miss does not claim Full skill bodies", () => {
+    const text = formatBakedOptionalSkills(["style", "does-not-exist-xyz"]);
+    expect(text).toContain("### style");
+    expect(text).toContain("Resolved skill bodies");
+    expect(text).not.toContain("Full skill bodies");
+    expect(text).not.toContain("### does-not-exist-xyz");
+  });
+});

src/agent/directors/bake-skills.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+import { existsSync, readFileSync } from "node:fs";
+import { dirname, join } from "node:path";
+import { fileURLToPath } from "node:url";
+
+/**
+ * Strip leading YAML frontmatter from a SKILL.md body (same shape as
+ * resolveSkillBody / splitFrontmatter — keep sync and dependency-light so
+ * director prompt assembly stays sync).
+ */
+function stripFrontmatter(raw: string): string {
+  if (!raw.startsWith("---")) return raw.trim();
+  const end = raw.indexOf("\n---", 3);
+  if (end === -1) return raw.trim();
+  return raw.slice(end + 4).trim();
+}
+
+/**
+ * Candidate roots for first-party corbits-skills, covering source tree,
+ * bun-bundled dist/, and compiled binary layouts. Keep this self-contained —
+ * do not import plugins/loader (circular: loader → trust → … → directors).
+ */
+function skillsRootCandidates(): string[] {
+  const here = dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
+  const out: string[] = [];
+  // Source: src/agent/directors → ../../../plugins/corbits-skills/skills
+  out.push(join(here, "..", "..", "..", "plugins", "corbits-skills", "skills"));
+  // Bundled: dist/index.js (or chunk) → dist/plugins/corbits-skills/skills
+  out.push(join(here, "plugins", "corbits-skills", "skills"));
+  // Compiled binary: plugins next to execPath
+  if (process.execPath.length > 0) {
+    out.push(join(dirname(process.execPath), "plugins", "corbits-skills", "skills"));
+  }
+  return out;
+}
+
+function resolveSkillsRoot(): string | undefined {
+  for (const dir of skillsRootCandidates()) {
+    if (existsSync(dir)) return dir;
+  }
+  return undefined;
+}
+
+const bodyCache = new Map<string, string | undefined>();
+
+/**
+ * Load a first-party corbits-skills body by directory name (e.g. "style").
+ */
+export function loadBakedSkillBody(name: string): string | undefined {
+  if (bodyCache.has(name)) return bodyCache.get(name);
+
+  const root = resolveSkillsRoot();
+  if (root === undefined) {
+    bodyCache.set(name, undefined);
+    return undefined;
+  }
+
+  try {
+    const raw = readFileSync(join(root, name, "SKILL.md"), "utf8");
+    const body = stripFrontmatter(raw);
+    const value = body.length > 0 ? body : undefined;
+    bodyCache.set(name, value);
+    return value;
+  } catch {
+    bodyCache.set(name, undefined);
+    return undefined;
+  }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Append-ready markdown for optionalSkills bodies. Empty string when none
+ * resolve (missing catalog must not invent content or advertise a bake).
+ * Only include bodies that actually loaded — do not claim "full" coverage
+ * when some names miss.
+ */
+export function formatBakedOptionalSkills(names: readonly string[]): string {
+  const sections: string[] = [];
+  for (const name of names) {
+    const body = loadBakedSkillBody(name);
+    if (body === undefined) continue;
+    sections.push(`### ${name}\n\n${body}`);
+  }
+  if (sections.length === 0) return "";
+  return (
+    "\n\n# Baked skill guidance\n\n" +
+    "use_skill is not mounted on workers. Resolved skill bodies for this package follow.\n\n" +
+    sections.join("\n\n")
+  );
+}

src/agent/directors/counsel/package.test.ts

@@ -79,7 +79,12 @@ describe("counselPackage", () => {
   });
 
   test("optionalSkills order", () => {
-    expect(counselPackage.optionalSkills).toEqual(["style", "philosophy", "interview"]);
+    expect(counselPackage.optionalSkills).toEqual(["style", "philosophy"]);
+  });
+
+  test("does not advertise interview skill workers cannot use", () => {
+    expect(counselPackage.optionalSkills).not.toContain("interview");
+    expect(counselPackage.systemPrompt).not.toMatch(/interview-skill awareness/i);
   });
 
   test("primaryIntent and outOfLane match counsel / plan lane", () => {

src/agent/directors/counsel/package.ts

@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ export const counselPackage: DirectorPackage = {
     "becoming Builder or Critic",
   ],
   description: "Counsel leaf — ordered eng plans only; Greybeard reviews",
-  optionalSkills: ["style", "philosophy", "interview"],
+  optionalSkills: ["style", "philosophy"],
   tools: { allow: REVIEW_TOOLS },
   spawn: { maySpawn: false },
   tier: "leaf",
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ Author an agent-proof plan:
 4. Risks and open questions
 5. Ordered steps a Builder can execute without guessing
 
-When requirements are fuzzy, note open questions under Blockers instead of guessing — you cannot ask the operator mid-run. Prefer interview-skill awareness for discovery gaps; do not invent scope.
+When requirements are fuzzy, note open questions under Blockers instead of guessing — you cannot ask the operator mid-run. Do not invent scope.
 
 DONE GATE: Stop when the plan covers every success_criteria item from the brief OR blockers are explicit. Do not expand into implementation, architecture essays, or review theater after the plan is complete.
 

src/agent/directors/greybeard/package.ts

@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ PRIMARY INTENT: architecture judgment. Judge approach soundness, constraint owne
 
 You are Greybeard — not a second Skywalker, not Critic (code defects with evidence), not Builder. Your value is architectural judgment, not legwork or implementation.
 
+Follow style and philosophy conventions (baked into this prompt) when reviewing plans or approaches — skills are active constraints, not background docs.
+
 Judge the approach:
 1. Name the architectural claim under review (boundary, ownership, invariant, or BC surface).
 2. Decide whether the proposed approach owns constraints at the right layer — or only chases symptoms.

src/agent/directors/identity.test.ts

@@ -1,11 +1,20 @@
 import { describe, expect, test } from "bun:test";
+import { readFileSync } from "node:fs";
+import { join } from "node:path";
 import {
   MODEL_ROLE_DEFAULT_EFFORT,
   defaultEffortForDirector,
   formatDirectorSystemPrompt,
 } from "./identity.js";
 import { DIRECTOR_REGISTRY } from "./registry.js";
 
+function stripFrontmatter(raw: string): string {
+  if (!raw.startsWith("---")) return raw.trim();
+  const end = raw.indexOf("\n---", 3);
+  if (end === -1) return raw.trim();
+  return raw.slice(end + 4).trim();
+}
+
 describe("formatDirectorSystemPrompt", () => {
   test("prefixes agent id, model role, and optional skills", () => {
     const text = formatDirectorSystemPrompt(DIRECTOR_REGISTRY.builder);
@@ -20,6 +29,76 @@ describe("formatDirectorSystemPrompt", () => {
     const text = formatDirectorSystemPrompt(DIRECTOR_REGISTRY.intern);
     expect(text).toContain("Optional skills: none by default");
   });
+
+  test("bakes real style/philosophy/typescript bodies for builder workers (CL-6803)", () => {
+    const text = formatDirectorSystemPrompt(DIRECTOR_REGISTRY.builder);
+    const style = stripFrontmatter(
+      readFileSync(
+        join(import.meta.dirname, "../../../plugins/corbits-skills/skills/style/SKILL.md"),
+        "utf8",
+      ),
+    );
+    const philosophy = stripFrontmatter(
+      readFileSync(
+        join(import.meta.dirname, "../../../plugins/corbits-skills/skills/philosophy/SKILL.md"),
+        "utf8",
+      ),
+    );
+    const typescript = stripFrontmatter(
+      readFileSync(
+        join(import.meta.dirname, "../../../plugins/corbits-skills/skills/typescript/SKILL.md"),
+        "utf8",
+      ),
+    );
+    expect(text).toContain("# Baked skill guidance");
+    expect(text).toContain(style);
+    expect(text).toContain(philosophy);
+    expect(text).toContain(typescript);
+  });
+
+  test("does not bake skill bodies when optionalSkills is empty", () => {
+    const text = formatDirectorSystemPrompt(DIRECTOR_REGISTRY.intern);
+    expect(text).not.toContain("# Baked skill guidance");
+  });
+
+  test("does not advertise bake when no skill bodies resolve (total miss)", () => {
+    const text = formatDirectorSystemPrompt({
+      ...DIRECTOR_REGISTRY.builder,
+      optionalSkills: ["does-not-exist-xyz"],
+    });
+    expect(text).not.toContain("# Baked skill guidance");
+    expect(text).not.toMatch(/guidance is baked/i);
+    expect(text).toContain(
+      "Optional skills (names for awareness — use_skill is not mounted on workers)",
+    );
+    expect(text).toContain("does-not-exist-xyz");
+  });
+
+  test("skywalker does not bake skills or claim use_skill unmounted", () => {
+    const text = formatDirectorSystemPrompt(DIRECTOR_REGISTRY.skywalker);
+    expect(text).not.toContain("# Baked skill guidance");
+    expect(text).not.toContain("use_skill is not mounted on workers");
+    expect(text).not.toMatch(/guidance is baked/i);
+    expect(text).toContain("use_skill is primary-mounted");
+    expect(text).toContain("dispatch, style, philosophy, interview");
+  });
+
+  test("counsel does not bake interview ask_operator guidance (CL-6803)", () => {
+    const text = formatDirectorSystemPrompt(DIRECTOR_REGISTRY.counsel);
+    const interview = stripFrontmatter(
+      readFileSync(
+        join(import.meta.dirname, "../../../plugins/corbits-skills/skills/interview/SKILL.md"),
+        "utf8",
+      ),
+    );
+    expect(DIRECTOR_REGISTRY.counsel.optionalSkills).toEqual(["style", "philosophy"]);
+    expect(text).not.toContain(interview);
+    expect(text).not.toContain("### interview");
+    // interview recipe centers on ask_operator batches; counsel must not embed it
+    expect(text).not.toMatch(/multiple-choice questions in batches via `ask_operator`/);
+    expect(text).toContain("style, philosophy");
+    expect(text).toContain("# Baked skill guidance");
+  });
 });
 
 describe("defaultEffortForDirector", () => {

src/agent/directors/identity.ts

@@ -1,25 +1,45 @@
 import type { DirectorPackage } from "./types.js";
 import type { ModelRole } from "./types.js";
 import type { ReasoningEffort } from "../../provider/reasoning-effort.js";
+import { formatBakedOptionalSkills } from "./bake-skills.js";
 
 /**
  * Prefix every director system prompt with a stable identity block so the model
  * always sees agent id, model role, and optional skills — no ambiguity about which
  * package it is or how the parent should re-spawn it.
+ *
+ * Workers (non-orchestrator): bake first-party optionalSkills bodies (CL-6803)
+ * and only advertise that bake when at least one body resolved. Primary
+ * orchestrator (skywalker): use_skill is mounted — list skill names only; do
+ * not bake huge dispatch/interview bodies or claim use_skill is unmounted.
  */
 export function formatDirectorSystemPrompt(pkg: DirectorPackage): string {
-  const skillsLine =
-    pkg.optionalSkills === undefined
-      ? null
-      : pkg.optionalSkills.length === 0
-        ? "Optional skills: none by default."
-        : `Optional skills (names for awareness; guidance is baked into this prompt — use_skill is not mounted on workers): ${pkg.optionalSkills.join(", ")}.`;
+  const names = pkg.optionalSkills;
+  const isPrimaryOrchestrator = pkg.tier === "orchestrator";
+
+  let skillsLine: string | null = null;
+  let baked = "";
+
+  if (names === undefined) {
+    skillsLine = null;
+  } else if (names.length === 0) {
+    skillsLine = "Optional skills: none by default.";
+  } else if (isPrimaryOrchestrator) {
+    skillsLine = `Optional skills (names for awareness; use_skill is primary-mounted): ${names.join(", ")}.`;
+  } else {
+    baked = formatBakedOptionalSkills(names);
+    skillsLine =
+      baked.length > 0
+        ? `Optional skills (names for awareness; guidance is baked into this prompt — use_skill is not mounted on workers): ${names.join(", ")}.`
+        : `Optional skills (names for awareness — use_skill is not mounted on workers): ${names.join(", ")}.`;
+  }
+
   const header = [
     `Identity: agent id \`${pkg.id}\` — spawn as task(agent="${pkg.id}").`,
     `Model role: ${pkg.modelRole}.`,
     ...(skillsLine !== null ? [skillsLine] : []),
   ].join("\n");
-  return `${header}\n\n${pkg.systemPrompt}`;
+  return `${header}\n\n${pkg.systemPrompt}${baked}`;
 }
 
 /**

src/agent/directors/index.ts

@@ -27,3 +27,5 @@ export {
   defaultEffortForDirector,
   formatDirectorSystemPrompt,
 } from "./identity.js";
+
+export { formatBakedOptionalSkills, loadBakedSkillBody } from "./bake-skills.js";

src/agent/directors/neckbeard/package.test.ts

@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ describe("neckbeardPackage", () => {
     expect(neckbeardPackage.systemPrompt).toMatch(/NeckbeardDirector/);
     expect(neckbeardPackage.systemPrompt).toMatch(/never fix/i);
     expect(neckbeardPackage.systemPrompt).toContain("builder (to fix)");
+    expect(neckbeardPackage.systemPrompt).toContain("Critic");
+    expect(neckbeardPackage.systemPrompt).not.toMatch(/Critique/);
   });
 
   test("spawn.maySpawn is false", () => {

src/agent/directors/neckbeard/package.ts

@@ -22,11 +22,11 @@ export const neckbeardPackage: DirectorPackage = {
   modelRole: "review",
   systemPrompt: `You are NeckbeardDirector, a specialist in Corbits Code.
 
-PRIMARY INTENT: adversarial pedantic review. Surface hygiene issues, nits, and refactor proposals with evidence. Never fix product code. You are not the architecture owner (that is Greybeard). You are not the defect-severity owner (that is Critique).
+PRIMARY INTENT: adversarial pedantic review. Surface hygiene issues, nits, and refactor proposals with evidence. Never fix product code. You are not the architecture owner (that is Greybeard). You are not the defect-severity owner (that is Critic).
 
 Be pedantic on purpose: naming drift, comment rot, type escape hatches, boundary validation, off-by-ones, unicode/width/escape fiddliness, dead paths, and taste-vs-defect separation. Cite file paths and concrete snippets. Separate genuine defects from taste; label each finding.
 
-Do not apply fixes. Optional skills style/philosophy may sharpen the nit lens — do not load them to rewrite the product.
+Do not apply fixes. Style/philosophy (baked into this prompt) may sharpen the nit lens — do not rewrite the product.
 
 OUT OF LANE → report Blockers naming the right director: builder (to fix), critic (correctness defects), greybeard (architecture), counsel (change plans).