Menu
Use when an existing spell needs improvement based on usage. Captures what changed, re-runs the tester (mandatory), bumps the version, and saves.
Install with Codex or Claude Copy this prompt, paste it into Codex, Claude, or another assistant, and let it review the skill page and install it for you.
Based on SOC occupation classification
| name | refining-a-spell |
| description | Use when an existing spell needs improvement based on usage. Captures what changed, re-runs the tester (mandatory), bumps the version, and saves. |
| kind | workflow |
| audience | anyone |
| ai-tools | any |
| complexity | guided |
| time | 5-15 min |
| version | 1.0.0 |
| source | bundled |
Updates an existing spell in the user's library. Walks through the diff, re-runs the tester (this is non-skippable), bumps the version field, and saves.
/refine-spell <name>The updated SKILL.md, validated, re-tested, and saved with bumped version.
This is a workflow.
Find the spell in $WIZARD_HOME (preferred) or bundled spells/. If it's bundled and not yet overridden, copy it to $WIZARD_HOME/personal/<name>/ first — never modify the bundled file.
Ask: "What needs to change?" and "What real situation showed you this was needed?"
The "what real situation" question is required. A refinement without a real-world trigger is speculative — push back: "Want to wait until you hit a real case?"
Edit the SKILL.md. Common changes:
How it works (Steps) and to Quality barVariationsExcuses and countersWhat you bring (Inputs) and add a step to capture itAny change requires re-test. The kind of test depends on the kind:
| Kind | Test |
|---|---|
content, workflow, subagent | Standard mode tester on 2-3 scenarios |
discipline | pressure-testing-a-spell with at least one scenario that exercises the change |
| If you think... | Reality |
|---|---|
| "It's a tiny wording change" | Tiny changes shift behavior. Re-test. |
| "I already manually verified" | Re-test. |
| "The previous version passed" | The previous version is no longer the current version. Re-test. |
| "I'll re-test next time" | Re-test now. |
All forbidden excuses get the same response: Re-test. No exceptions.
Before saving any refined spell, the tester must have returned PASS for the new version. If you are about to save without a fresh PASS, STOP. Re-test.Apply semver:
If the current version is 0.x.y and the user has used this spell 3+ times successfully, prompt: "Bump to 1.0.0?"
Write to $WIZARD_HOME/<category>/<name>/SKILL.md. Show the user the diff summary and the new version.
Return to Stage 3 when:
intuitive-interviewingThe refinement is good enough when:
User: "My writing-a-status-update skill keeps including too much detail when I'm in a hurry. Make it shorter."
~/.wizard/work/writing-a-status-update/SKILL.md.Use when the meta-builder routes to kind=discipline. Generates a discipline spell with the rule, excuses table, warning signs, and hard gates.
Use when the user wants to capture a repeatable task as a reusable spell, or asks "how do I build a workflow / skill / framework for X"
Use when the meta-builder routes to kind=subagent. Generates a spell that dispatches one or more subagents to do work in parallel or in isolation.
Use when the meta-builder routes to kind=workflow. Generates a workflow spell with explicit stages, checkpoints, and loop-back conditions.
Use when composing multiple spells into a chain that runs end-to-end (e.g. brainstorm -> plan -> execute -> verify).
Use when browsing what spells are available - bundled seeds, your personal library, or both. Filter by kind, audience, or update status.