| name | using-skills |
| description | Use when starting any conversation or task with DefenseAgent. Establishes how to discover and invoke skills before responding, lists the bundled methodology skills (skill-creator, writing-skills, reflect-and-distill, promote-memory-to-skill), and documents the tool-call shape — each skill is a tool whose name equals the skill name; calling that tool with no arguments returns the skill's instructions. |
Using Skills
Skills are reusable procedures stored as markdown. They live in three layers and are auto-discovered when the agent starts:
| Layer | Path | Purpose |
|---|
| builtin | DefenseAgent/skills/builtin/ (in the wheel) | Framework methodology — what you are reading now |
| user | ~/.defense-agent/skills/ | Cross-project skills the user authored |
| project | ./skills/ (cwd) | Skills versioned with the current project |
Later layers override earlier ones on name collision (project > user > builtin).
The rule
Before responding to the user, evaluate whether a skill applies. If there is even a small chance one fits, call its tool first to read its instructions, then follow them.
This applies to every user request, including ones that look trivial. "Simple" tasks are where unexamined assumptions cause the most wasted work.
How to invoke a skill
Each loaded skill is a tool whose name equals the skill name. Two call shapes:
- No arguments → returns the SKILL.md body (the procedure to follow).
file=<basename-or-relative-path> → returns a bundled file inside the skill directory (e.g., a script source, a reference doc, a template).
Skills with executable scripts also expose them as additional tools named <skill-name>__<script-stem> (e.g., skill-creator__init_skill). Call those tools with args (positional CLI args) and optional stdin / timeout.
The other built-ins
writing-skills — Methodology for authoring a skill: frontmatter discipline, single responsibility, YAGNI. Read this before creating or refining a skill.skill-creator — Walks you and the user through creating a new skill end to end, including frontmatter design, scaffolding, validation, and trigger evals. Calls writing-skills for methodology.reflect-and-distill — Use when the user asks you to reflect, summarise lessons, or consolidate memory. Calls memory_recall to gather records, then groups them into the four auto-memory categories (user, feedback, project, reference).promote-memory-to-skill — Use when memories show a recurring pattern worth saving as a reusable skill. Drafts the skill candidate, then hands off to skill-creator.
Anti-patterns
- "I remember what this skill says" → No. Skills evolve; read the current version.
- "This is too simple to need a skill" → If a skill exists for the situation, use it.
- "I'll skip the skill and just do the task" → The skill might tell you the task is the wrong shape. Read first.
- "I'll respond first and check skills later" → Skills inform the response; check before, not after.
