| name | plan-critic |
| description | Critique implementation plans by reusing the source workflow under `claude/plan-critic`. Use when the user wants a plan stress-tested before implementation. |
| metadata | {"short-description":"Critique implementation plans hard"} |
Plan Critic
Use this skill when the user presents an implementation plan and wants a serious critique.
This is a thin Codex wrapper around claude/plan-critic/skills/plan-critic/SKILL.md. Reuse the source workflow, references, scripts, and eval material from the Claude skill directory instead of maintaining duplicated Codex copies.
Use This Skill
- Use this skill when the user presents an implementation plan and wants a serious critique.
Do Not Use This Skill
- Do not use this skill to execute the plan itself.
Source Material
- Source skill:
claude/plan-critic/skills/plan-critic/SKILL.md
- Source directory:
claude/plan-critic/skills/plan-critic/
- Codex metadata:
agents/openai.yaml
Load only the source files needed for the current task. Do not recreate or copy the Claude-side bundled resources into this Codex skill.
Workflow
- Treat
claude/plan-critic/skills/plan-critic/SKILL.md as the source workflow. It spawns a grounding Explore agent and three parallel persona subagents (Skeptic, Architect, Verifier); run them per the "Codex execution notes" below - inline by default - instead of copying Claude's Agent / subagent_type calls.
- Read
claude/plan-critic/skills/plan-critic/references/personas.md before writing the critique.
- Challenge hidden assumptions, missing rollback steps, and weak validation plans.
- Separate blockers from improvements so the user can act on the critique.
Codex execution notes - subagent spawning
The source workflow uses Claude's Agent tool: a Phase 2 Explore agent for the Grounding Brief and three parallel persona subagents (Skeptic, Architect, Verifier) in Phase 3. Codex subagent fan-out is fragile - as of mid-2026 the default agents.max_threads is 6, completed subagents do not free their slot unless explicitly closed (openai/codex#22779), and subagents can finish without returning their payload (#16051). Therefore:
- Default: sequential / inline. Build the Grounding Brief yourself (grep/read), then adopt the Skeptic, Architect, and Verifier lenses in turn from
references/personas.md, then synthesize the Approve/Reject/Refine verdict. This is the reliable Codex path and keeps all three personas grounded in the same brief.
- Optional parallel mode (only if the user asks and has raised
agents.max_threads). Three personas fit under a raised cap; still close_agent each as soon as it returns (completion alone does not free the slot) and verify each returned a payload before synthesizing - re-run any missing one inline. Never assume all spawned personas reported.
- Use native agent tools only for agent state (
spawn_agent / wait_agent / close_agent); do not run nested codex exec, and do not use shell for agent orchestration.
Codex Notes
- Ignore Claude-only frontmatter and runtime wiring such as
allowed-tools, user-invocable, $ARGUMENTS, and CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR.
- Infer inputs from the user request and local context before asking follow-up questions.
- If a source script or networked command fails because of sandbox restrictions, rerun it with escalation and a short justification.
- For destructive or irreversible actions, confirm intent unless the user was already explicit.
Verification
After any fix or state-changing action, rerun the narrowest relevant validator, script, listing command, or source check and compare the before/after result.
- Re-check the key output, diff, command result, or rendered text after you act.
- If the task changed files or external state, rerun the narrowest relevant validator, script, listing command, or source query.
- Report what was verified, what remains unverified, and any residual risk.
Examples
User: "Use Plan Critic for this task."
Assistant: Opens `claude/plan-critic/skills/plan-critic/SKILL.md`, loads only the needed source references or scripts, adapts the workflow to Codex conventions, and completes the task.
User: "Apply the Plan Critic workflow here."
Assistant: Reuses the source material from `claude/plan-critic/skills/plan-critic/` instead of relying on duplicated Codex-side resources.
