subagent-rules

name	subagent-rules
description	Proper delegation patterns for Task() invocations with governance context injection
allowed-tools	["Task","Read","Bash"]
triggers	["subagent","oa-router","Task delegation","anchor ceremony","subagent rules","delegate task","spawn agent","tier selection"]

===SKILL:SUBAGENT_RULES=== META: TYPE::SKILL VERSION::"2.5.0" STATUS::ACTIVE PURPOSE::"Enforce oa-router delegation with anchor ceremony for all subagent Task() calls"

§1::ROUTING_RULE SCOPE::"Task()/Agent tool delegations only. External CLI dispatch (pal clink→goose/gemini/codex) is a separate mechanism — see /review §4." RULE::"ALL Task() agent delegation MUST use subagent_type:'oa-router'. NEVER call role agents directly." RATIONALE::"oa-router runs anchor ceremony providing identity, governance, context, enforcement (I5)"

§2::TEMPLATE INVOCATION::Task({ subagent_type: "oa-router", description: "{brief description}", prompt: role: {role} tier: {tier|default} topic: {context for ARM computation} BEFORE ANY WORK: Load deferred MCP tool schemas via ToolSearch if needed (see §4d), then complete the anchor ceremony. Do not read or act on the task below until you have a valid PERMIT_SID. YOUR TASK {detailed task description} SUCCESS CRITERIA {what done looks like} })

§3::TIER_SELECTION TIERS::[ micro::trivial_read_only_tasks[0_tensions,tension_bypass], quick::fast_iteration_single_constraint[1_tension], default::standard_work[2_tensions], deep::critical_decisions_production_impact[3_tensions] ]

§4::CALLER_RULES MUST::["Include anchor-first instruction in every prompt (baked into §2 template)", "Include role field (oa-router cannot bind without it)", "Store agent_id from Task() result for same-role reuse", "Use resume parameter with stored agent_id for subsequent calls to same role"] NEVER::["Skip/bypass anchor ceremony", "Pre-assign identity (e.g., 'You are an implementation-lead')", "Omit role from prompt", "Include pre-ceremony instructions that bypass binding", "Launch fresh Task() for same role when previous agent_id exists in session", "Use run_in_background:true for oa-router delegations"] BACKGROUND_RULE::[ PROHIBITION::"oa-router Task() calls MUST run in foreground (run_in_background MUST be false or omitted)", RATIONALE::"Background execution hides the anchor ceremony — multi-stage identity proofs (I5) become unauditable. Foreground shows every sub-agent action (anchor_request, file reads, anchor_lock, anchor_commit) enabling real-time verification.", PARALLEL_ALTERNATIVE::"For throughput, use multiple foreground Task() calls in a single message — Claude Code executes independent calls concurrently while preserving visibility.", DETECTION::"IF oa-router output contains 'Async agent launched successfully' THEN ceremony auditability is lost → treat as governance concern" ] INVALID_WORK::"IF subagent produces output without valid PERMIT_SID THEN work is INVALID per I5 → discard and re-delegate"

§4b::RESUME_RULE RULE::"When delegating to a role previously invoked in the same session, MUST use Task({resume: agent_id}) instead of launching fresh" RATIONALE::"Fresh launch forces full re-anchor (~50k+ tokens). Resume preserves anchor context, governance state, and loaded capabilities." PATTERN::[ FIRST_CALL::Task({subagent_type: "oa-router", prompt: "role: X ..."})→store_agent_id, SUBSEQUENT::Task({resume: stored_agent_id, prompt: "continue: ..."})→reuse_context ] EXCEPTION::"Launch fresh only when role changes OR context has fundamentally shifted (different branch, different project)"

§4c::CONTINUATION_RULE RULE::"Subagents using external tools with continuation/thread IDs (PAL continuation_id, future equivalents) MUST store and reuse the ID returned from the first call in ALL subsequent calls to the same tool within the session." RATIONALE::"Each call without continuation_id starts a fresh conversation — losing accumulated context, wasting tokens on re-explanation, and risking inconsistent responses across calls." SCOPE::[ PAL_CHAT::continuation_id[returned_in_response→pass_in_next_call], PAL_CLINK::continuation_id[same_principle], FUTURE_TOOLS::"Any tool returning a thread/session/continuation identifier" ] PATTERN::[ FIRST_CALL::mcp__pal__chat({prompt: "...", ...})→store_continuation_id_from_response, SUBSEQUENT::mcp__pal__chat({prompt: "...", continuation_id: stored_id, ...})→reuse_thread ] NEVER::["Discard continuation_id between calls to the same tool", "Start fresh PAL conversations when continuation_id is available"]

§4d::DEFERRED_TOOL_DISCOVERY RULE::"Before invoking any mcp__* tool (or any other deferred tool) for the first time in a session, MUST call ToolSearch with a select-query to load the tool schemas. Subagents receive a restricted initial tool set — MCP tools appear only by name in messages until their schemas are loaded." RATIONALE::"Calling a deferred tool without loading its schema fails with InputValidationError. Agents that skip this step may falsely conclude 'MCP tools unavailable' and abort — producing a reproducible anchor-ceremony failure mode. Loading schemas via ToolSearch is a prerequisite for the anchor ceremony itself, because mcp__odyssean-anchor__* tools are deferred." PATTERN::[ ANCHOR_TOOLCHAIN::"ToolSearch(query='select:mcp__odyssean-anchor__anchor_request,mcp__odyssean-anchor__anchor_lock,mcp__odyssean-anchor__anchor_commit,mcp__odyssean-anchor__verify_permit,mcp__odyssean-anchor__anchor_micro', max_results=5)", OCTAVE_WRITE_VALIDATE::"ToolSearch(query='select:mcp__octave__octave_write,mcp__octave__octave_validate', max_results=2)", OTHER_DEFERRED::"Use select:<comma,separated,names> for any MCP tool referenced in the task prompt that is not already in the initial tool list", KEYWORD_SEARCH::"Use a free-text query (e.g. 'notebook jupyter') when the exact tool name is unknown" ] TRIGGER::[ on_deferred_tool_in_task_prompt::load_before_first_invocation, on_deferred_tool_in_system_reminder::load_before_first_invocation, on_tool_not_found_error::retry_after_ToolSearch_load, on_InputValidationError_for_mcp_tool::check_schema_loaded_then_retry ] NEVER::[ "Conclude 'MCP tools unavailable' without first attempting ToolSearch", "Abort the anchor ceremony citing missing mcp__odyssean-anchor__* tools — load them via ToolSearch first", "Guess at deferred tool parameters without loading the schema", "Skip ToolSearch when a deferred tool is explicitly named in the task prompt or system-reminder" ]

§5::ANCHOR_KERNEL TARGET::governance_compliant_oa-router_delegation NEVER::[bypass_anchor_ceremony,pre_assign_identity,omit_role,run_in_background_for_oa-router,launch_fresh_when_agent_id_exists,discard_continuation_ids,conclude_mcp_tools_unavailable_without_ToolSearch] MUST::[use_oa-router_subagent_type,include_anchor-first_instruction,store_and_reuse_agent_id,foreground_execution_for_ceremony_auditability,reuse_continuation_ids_across_tool_calls,load_deferred_tools_via_ToolSearch_before_first_mcp_call] GATE::"Does this delegation use oa-router, run in foreground, include role, preserve agent_id for reuse, maintain continuation IDs, and load deferred MCP tool schemas via ToolSearch before first use?" ===END===