version: "1.0.1" name: socratic-duel description: "Run a bounded, evidence-driven two-agent debate into a separate rp1 debate artifact with backend locks only." allowed-tools: Read, Write, Edit, Bash(echo ), Bash(rp1 ) metadata: category: strategy is_workflow: true workflow: run_policy: resumable identity_args:

• TARGET_PATH
• TOPIC

version: 1.1.0 tags:

• debate
• review
• reasoning
• workflow

created: 2026-04-24 updated: 2026-04-25 author: cloud-on-prem/rp1 arguments:

• name: TARGET_PATH

type: string required: true description: "Absolute path to the readable local Markdown source document to debate"

• name: TOPIC

type: string required: false description: "Optional topic focus; when omitted, infer the topic from the source heading or filename"

• name: PARTICIPANT_NAME

type: string required: true description: "Unique display identity for this participant"

• name: MODEL_ID

type: string required: false default: "unknown-model" description: "Model identity to record with participant turns"

Socratic Duel

§ROLE: Debate participant and debate artifact steward for /rp1-base:socratic-duel.

§OBJ

• Treat {TARGET_PATH} as read-only Markdown source material.
• Create or append the durable debate record only at the coordinator-returned debate_path under {workRoot}/debates/.
• Preserve accepted prior turns exactly and append at most 6 accepted turns.
• Keep every claim, counterpoint, unresolved item, and terminal summary focused on {TOPIC} or the inferred effective topic.
• Coordinate exactly two participants through backend locks only.
• End with an explicit terminal outcome: ACCEPTED_CONSENSUS, DISSENT, MAX_TURNS, TIMEOUT, or INVALIDATED.
• Close the rp1 run on every terminal outcome.
• Resist unsupported agreement, deference, and repeated arguments.

§BOUNDARY

• Backend owns participant registration, active lock status, lock claim, lock refresh, lock expiry, lock release, source/topic identity, and debate artifact path allocation.
• Agent owns source reading, topic inference, artifact template loading, artifact creation, participant table rendering, turn numbering, alternation checks, candidate convergence state, turn structure checks, evidence discipline, terminal outcome selection, terminal summaries, and Markdown artifact updates.
• Agent owns template selection by reading the artifact template directly (with fallback to /rp1-base:artifact-templates index); do not implement or expect TypeScript template rendering.
• Backend status is not debate truth. Treat the debate artifact as the debate record.
• The source document is not the artifact. Do not add or require rp1:socratic-duel boundary markers during normal recording.
• This base skill MUST NOT call rp1-dev commands or subagents.
• This standalone skill intentionally duplicates the participant agent's critical turn contract so direct and launcher modes are self-contained; keep §TURN_RULES and §OUTCOMES in sync with plugins/base/agents/socratic-duel-participant.md.

§CTX

• Use generated Workflow Bootstrap values: RUN_ID, projectRoot, workRoot, codeRoot, resolved arguments.
• Determine CURRENT_HOST: claude-code, codex, gh-copilot, opencode, amp, else unknown; default codex.
• TARGET_PATH: required absolute readable .md or .markdown source path. Do not require write access.
• TOPIC: optional. If blank, read the source document and use the first Markdown heading as the effective topic, falling back to the source filename stem.
• PARTICIPANT_NAME: required unique participant identity; do not replace it with CURRENT_HOST.
• MODEL_ID: if unknown, keep unknown-model; do not invent model metadata.
• debate_path, source_path, topic, and topic_slug come from join and are authoritative after registration.
• Open research is allowed when useful, but every external claim needs a citation.
• Waiting is always bounded and non-interactive; do not prompt the user during peer or lock waits.

STATE-MACHINE

stateDiagram-v2
    [*] --> preparing
    preparing --> waiting_for_participant : peer_missing
    preparing --> debating : ready
    waiting_for_participant --> debating : peer_ready
    waiting_for_participant --> closing : wait_timeout
    debating --> debating : yielded
    debating --> waiting_for_participant : peer_wait
    debating --> closing : terminal
    closing --> completed : accepted_or_dissent_or_timeout
    closing --> invalidated : validation_failed
    completed --> [*]
    invalidated --> [*]

References

§EMIT (summary)

On every primary state entry, emit status_change with --step {CURRENT_STATE}. Key events: participant_registered, participant_waiting, lock_acquired, lock_released as unit events. Emit artifact_registered once after first Write creates {debate_path}. Emit turn_composing/artifact_updated per turn with --unit turn:{N}. Emit btw_update for candidate convergence (duel stays active). Terminal: --close-run with status:"completed" for ACCEPTED_CONSENSUS/DISSENT/MAX_TURNS/TIMEOUT, status:"failed" for INVALIDATED. See references/protocol.md EMIT section for all emit block specifications.

§PROC (summary)

1. preparing -- Validate source path, join duel via backend, emit participant_registered, load artifact template. Transition to waiting_for_participant (< 2 participants) or debating.
2. waiting_for_participant -- Bounded poll for peer. On timeout: claim-lock with --for-timeout, re-check status; if still < 2 participants, transition to closing with TIMEOUT; if peer appeared, transition to debating.
3. debating -- Claim lock, read source + artifact, create artifact from template if missing (emit artifact_registered once). Draft one turn per TURN_MARKDOWN/TURN_RULES. Enforce alternation, 6-turn max, topic focus. Release lock; if terminal, transition to closing.
4. closing -- Write terminal conclusion while holding lease. Run release-lock with --close --outcome. If close returns closed:false, re-run status and follow next_step. Emit lock_released + artifact_updated. Transition to completed or invalidated.
5. completed -- Emit terminal completion with --close-run. Report outcome and debate artifact path.
6. invalidated -- Emit terminal invalidation with --close-run and status:"failed". Report reason.

See references/protocol.md for full procedure detail, turn structure, and prohibitions.

§OUTCOMES

§DONT See references/protocol.md DONT section for the full prohibitions list.