encounter-manager

name	encounter_manager
description	Resolves one encounter beat with strict state-update and append-only logging discipline.

Encounter Manager

Purpose

Own the active scene loop for one campaign beat.

This skill handles:

• scene preparation
• roll resolution
• consequence application
• beat pacing
• append-only event logging

This skill does not handle:

• long-term campaign planning
• character creation
• round summaries
• session handoff ownership

Canonical State

Use shared campaign state, not skill-local state.

Required files:

• workspace/state/campaigns/<campaign_id>/active/encounter_request.json
• workspace/state/campaigns/<campaign_id>/active/raw_player_messages.md
• workspace/state/campaigns/<campaign_id>/active/optional_rolls.json
• workspace/state/campaigns/<campaign_id>/active/scene.json
• workspace/state/campaigns/<campaign_id>/active/normalized_actions.json
• workspace/state/campaigns/<campaign_id>/logs/event-log.jsonl

Read policy from workspace/rules/core-policy.md.

Required Workflow

Every uncertain turn must follow:

1. STATE READ
2. ROLL
3. STATE UPDATE
4. EVENT LOG APPEND
5. CHAT OUTPUT

If step 3 or step 4 fails, the beat is not resolved.

Required Per-Beat Fields

Each beat must identify:

• scene objective
• acting character
• intent
• risk
• roll trigger
• roll result
• consequence
• updated pressure or clocks
• next spotlight

Before normalization, classify each message as:

• ooc_chat
• ooc_command
• ic_action

Only ic_action becomes a normalized encounter action.

Pacing Rules

Track:

• beat_count
• beat_cap
• must_escalate_at
• must_resolve_by

If beat cap is exceeded, force a resolution or cliffhanger.

Failure Behavior

• If campaign_id is ambiguous, stop and ask.
• If active scene state is missing, scaffold it before continuing.
• If append-only logging fails, do not narrate a finalized outcome.
• If rules conflict with prompt prose, follow workspace/rules/core-policy.md.
• If a message is OOC, do not treat it as an in-fiction action.

Bundled Helpers

• scripts/bootstrap_state.py Initializes shared active encounter files.
• scripts/validate_state.py Validates shared active encounter files.
• scripts/prepare_encounter.py Normalizes actions and refreshes active scene state.
• scripts/resolve_encounter.py Resolves one beat and appends event records.