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CipherPowers Skills Reference

TL;DR

Invoke skills with the Skill tool: Skill(skill: "cipherpowers:skill-name") - Skills are automatically discovered by Claude Code and provide reusable workflows for development, planning, review, and documentation tasks.


Skills are automatically discovered by Claude Code. Invoke with the Skill tool: Skill(skill: "cipherpowers:skill-name")

For detailed information about each skill, use the Skill tool or read the skill's SKILL.md file in ./plugin/skills/.

Development Skills

test-driven-development

Use when implementing any feature or bugfix, before writing implementation code - write the test first, watch it fail, write minimal code to pass; ensures tests actually verify behavior by requiring failure first

tdd-enforcement-algorithm

Algorithmic decision tree enforcing test-first development via boolean conditions instead of imperatives

systematic-debugging

Use when encountering any bug, test failure, or unexpected behavior, before proposing fixes - four-phase framework (root cause investigation, pattern analysis, hypothesis testing, implementation) that ensures understanding before attempting solutions

root-cause-tracing

Use when errors occur deep in execution and you need to trace back to find the original trigger - systematically traces bugs backward through call stack, adding instrumentation when needed, to identify source of invalid data or incorrect behavior

defense-in-depth

Use when invalid data causes failures deep in execution, requiring validation at multiple system layers - validates at every layer data passes through to make bugs structurally impossible

Planning & Execution Skills

brainstorming

Use when creating or developing, before writing code or implementation plans - refines rough ideas into fully-formed designs through collaborative questioning, alternative exploration, and incremental validation. Don't use during clear 'mechanical' processes

writing-plans

Use when design is complete and you need detailed implementation tasks for engineers with zero codebase context - creates comprehensive implementation plans with exact file paths, complete code examples, and verification steps assuming engineer has minimal domain knowledge

executing-plans

Use when partner provides a complete implementation plan to execute in controlled batches with review checkpoints - loads plan, reviews critically, executes tasks in batches, reports for review between batches

following-plans

Algorithmic decision tree for when to follow plan exactly vs when to report BLOCKED - prevents scope creep and unauthorized deviations

verifying-plans

Complete workflow for evaluating implementation plans before execution with quality checklist and structured feedback

Code Review Skills

conducting-code-review

Complete workflow for conducting thorough code reviews with test verification and structured feedback

requesting-code-review

Use when completing tasks, implementing major features, or before merging to verify work meets requirements - dispatches cipherpowers:code-review-agent subagent to review implementation against plan or requirements before proceeding

receiving-code-review

Use when receiving code review feedback, before implementing suggestions, especially if feedback seems unclear or technically questionable - requires technical rigor and verification, not performative agreement or blind implementation

validating-review-feedback

Validate code review feedback against implementation plan to prevent scope creep and derailment

Documentation Skills

organizing-documentation

Set up or reorganize project documentation using intent-based structure (BUILD/FIX/UNDERSTAND/LOOKUP)

maintaining-docs-after-changes

Two-phase workflow to keep project documentation synchronized with code changes

creating-research-packages

Document complex domain knowledge as self-contained packages with multiple reading paths

documenting-debugging-workflows

Create symptom-based debugging documentation that matches how developers actually search for solutions

creating-quality-gates

Establish workflow boundary checklists with clear pass/fail criteria and escalation procedures

capturing-learning

Systematic retrospective to capture decisions, lessons, and insights from completed work

Workflow Skills

commit-workflow

Systematic commit process with pre-commit checks, atomic commits, and conventional commit messages

dual-verification

Use two independent agents for reviews or research, then collate findings to identify common findings, unique insights, and divergences

finishing-a-development-branch

Use when implementation is complete, all tests pass, and you need to decide how to integrate the work - guides completion of development work by presenting structured options for merge, PR, or cleanup

using-git-worktrees

Use when starting feature work that needs isolation from current workspace or before executing implementation plans - creates isolated git worktrees with smart directory selection and safety verification

subagent-driven-development

Use when executing implementation plans with independent tasks in the current session - dispatches fresh subagent for each task with code review between tasks, enabling fast iteration with quality gates

dispatching-parallel-agents

Use when facing 3+ independent failures that can be investigated without shared state or dependencies - dispatches multiple Claude agents to investigate and fix independent problems concurrently

Meta Skills

using-cipherpowers

Use when starting any conversation - establishes mandatory workflows for finding and using skills, including using Skill tool before announcing usage, following brainstorming before coding, and creating TodoWrite todos for checklists

selecting-agents

Decision guide for choosing the right specialized agent for each task type

writing-skills

Use when creating new skills, editing existing skills, or verifying skills work before deployment - applies TDD to process documentation by testing with subagents before writing, iterating until bulletproof against rationalization

testing-skills-with-subagents

Use when creating or editing skills, before deployment, to verify they work under pressure and resist rationalization - applies RED-GREEN-REFACTOR cycle to process documentation by running baseline without skill, writing to address failures, iterating to close loopholes

algorithmic-command-enforcement

Use boolean decision trees instead of imperatives for 100% compliance under pressure

sharing-skills

Use when you've developed a broadly useful skill and want to contribute it upstream via pull request - guides process of branching, committing, pushing, and creating PR to contribute skills back to upstream repository

Testing Skills

testing-anti-patterns

Use when writing or changing tests, adding mocks, or tempted to add test-only methods to production code - prevents testing mock behavior, production pollution with test-only methods, and mocking without understanding dependencies

systematic-type-migration

Safe refactoring workflow for replacing old types with new type-safe implementations through integration-test-first, file-by-file migration with incremental verification


Usage Examples

Invoke a skill:

Skill(skill: "cipherpowers:test-driven-development")

Read a skill file directly:

@${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}skills/conducting-code-review/SKILL.md

Browse skills by category: Skills are organized in ./plugin/skills/ by name. Each skill directory contains:

  • SKILL.md - The skill documentation
  • Optional supporting files (examples, test scenarios, etc.)

Related Documentation

  • Standards: See ./plugin/standards/ for project-specific coding standards and practices
  • Templates: See ./plugin/templates/ for templates (agent, practice, skill)
  • Commands: See ./plugin/commands/ for slash commands that dispatch to skills
  • Agents: See ./plugin/agents/ for specialized agents that reference skills