dispatching-sub-orchestrators
DEPRECATED: The sub-orchestrator (CEO/Manager) execution mode has been removed. Spellbook now supports single-orchestrator dispatch only (direct / delegated). Nested subagent dispatch proved unreliable because dispatched subagents do not reliably have the Task tool, so a "Manager" sub-orchestrator could not dispatch its own gate sub-subagents. Use develop's single-orchestrator delegated mode instead; for very large efforts, checkpoint the `develop_gate_ledger` and hand off to a fresh session. The original body is preserved in ARCHIVE.md.
Best use case
dispatching-sub-orchestrators is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.
DEPRECATED: The sub-orchestrator (CEO/Manager) execution mode has been removed. Spellbook now supports single-orchestrator dispatch only (direct / delegated). Nested subagent dispatch proved unreliable because dispatched subagents do not reliably have the Task tool, so a "Manager" sub-orchestrator could not dispatch its own gate sub-subagents. Use develop's single-orchestrator delegated mode instead; for very large efforts, checkpoint the `develop_gate_ledger` and hand off to a fresh session. The original body is preserved in ARCHIVE.md.
Teams using dispatching-sub-orchestrators should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.
When to use this skill
- You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.
When not to use this skill
- You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
- You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.
Installation
Claude Code / Cursor / Codex
Manual Installation
- Download SKILL.md from GitHub
- Place it in
.claude/skills/dispatching-sub-orchestrators/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How dispatching-sub-orchestrators Compares
| Feature / Agent | dispatching-sub-orchestrators | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Not specified | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | Unknown | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
DEPRECATED: The sub-orchestrator (CEO/Manager) execution mode has been removed. Spellbook now supports single-orchestrator dispatch only (direct / delegated). Nested subagent dispatch proved unreliable because dispatched subagents do not reliably have the Task tool, so a "Manager" sub-orchestrator could not dispatch its own gate sub-subagents. Use develop's single-orchestrator delegated mode instead; for very large efforts, checkpoint the `develop_gate_ledger` and hand off to a fresh session. The original body is preserved in ARCHIVE.md.
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
SKILL.md Source
# Dispatching Sub-Orchestrators (Deprecated) <CRITICAL> This skill is deprecated. The `sub_orchestrators` execution mode (the CEO/Manager nested-dispatch pattern) and the related `work_items` separate-session decomposition mode have been removed from `develop` / `feature-implement`. **Why it was removed:** the pattern depended on a "Manager" subagent dispatching its own per-gate sub-subagents via the Task tool. In practice, dispatched subagents do not reliably have the Task tool wired through, so Managers silently degraded to inline execution and the intended per-gate context isolation was lost. The single-orchestrator model is the only reliable dispatch topology. **Migration:** - Use `develop`'s single-orchestrator **delegated** execution mode: one orchestrator dispatches gate subagents directly. - For very large features, do NOT nest orchestrators. Instead, checkpoint the `develop_gate_ledger` and hand off to a fresh `develop` session when the orchestrator's context approaches its limit. - End-of-phase quality gates (comprehensive audit, full test suite, green-mirage audit, comprehensive fact-check, pre-PR claim validation) still run at the single orchestrator level. **Provenance:** the original ~500-line skill body (CEO loop, Manager Dispatch Template, gotchas) is preserved verbatim in [`ARCHIVE.md`](./ARCHIVE.md) for historical reference. It is NOT live guidance. </CRITICAL> ## Invariant Principles 1. **Deprecated** - Do not use this skill or the `sub_orchestrators` / `work_items` execution modes. Use `develop`'s single-orchestrator delegated mode instead. <analysis>This skill is deprecated. Nested sub-orchestrator dispatch is unsupported because dispatched subagents lack a reliable Task tool. The original body lives in ARCHIVE.md.</analysis> <reflection>If invoked, redirect the user to develop's single-orchestrator delegated mode, and point to the `develop_gate_ledger` checkpoint mechanism for very large efforts.</reflection>
Related Skills
dispatching-parallel-agents
Use when deciding whether to dispatch subagents, when to stay in main context, or when facing 2+ independent parallel tasks. Triggers: 'should I use a subagent', 'parallelize', 'multiple independent tasks', 'run these at the same time', 'split this up', 'do both at once', 'dispatch template', 'context minimization'.
writing-skills
Use when creating new skills, editing existing skills, or verifying skills work before deployment. Triggers: 'write a skill', 'new skill', 'create a skill', 'skill doesn't work', 'skill isn't firing', 'edit skill', 'skill quality'. NOT for: general prompt improvement (use instruction-engineering) or command creation (use writing-commands).
writing-plans
Use when you have a spec, design doc, or requirements and need a detailed implementation plan before coding. Triggers: 'write a plan', 'create implementation plan', 'plan this out', 'break this down into steps', 'convert design to tasks', 'implementation order'. Also invoked by develop during planning. NOT for: reviewing existing plans (use reviewing-impl-plans).
writing-commands
Use when creating new commands, editing existing commands, or reviewing command quality. Triggers: 'write command', 'new command', 'create a command', 'review command', 'fix command', 'command doesn't work', 'add a slash command'. NOT for: skill creation (use writing-skills).
verifying-hunches
Use when about to claim discovery during debugging. Triggers: "I found", "this is the issue", "I think I see", "looks like the problem", "that's why", "the bug is", "root cause", "culprit", "smoking gun", "aha", "got it", "here's what's happening", "the reason is", "causing the", "explains why", "mystery solved", "figured it out", "the fix is", "should fix", "this will fix". Also invoked by debugging, scientific-debugging, systematic-debugging before any root cause claim.
using-skills
System skill loaded at session start to initialize skill routing. Not invoked directly by users. Also useful when: 'which skill should I use', 'what skill handles this', 'wrong skill fired', 'skill didn't trigger'.
using-lsp-tools
Use when mcp-language-server tools are available and you need semantic code intelligence. Triggers: 'find definition', 'find references', 'who calls this', 'rename symbol', 'type hierarchy', 'go to definition', 'where is this used', 'where is this defined', 'what type is this'. Provides navigation, refactoring, and type analysis via LSP.
using-git-worktrees
Use when starting feature work that needs isolation from current workspace, or setting up parallel development tracks. Triggers: 'worktree', 'separate branch', 'isolate this work', 'don't mess up current work', 'work on two things at once', 'parallel workstreams', 'new branch for this', 'keep my current work safe'.
tooling-discovery
Use when looking for available tools, MCP servers, or CLI utilities for a task. Triggers: 'what tools do I have', 'is there an MCP for this', 'what's available', 'find a tool for', 'discover tooling', 'what CLI tools exist'. NOT for: documenting existing tools (use documenting-tools).
testing-strategy
Test selection strategy and scope guidance. Triggers: 'which tests should I run', 'test tiers', 'test marks', 'slow tests', 'integration vs unit', 'cross-module regression', 'test scope', 'what should I run', 'select tests', 'test batching'. NOT for: writing tests (use test-driven-development) or fixing broken tests (use fixing-tests).
test-driven-development
Use when user explicitly requests test-driven development. Triggers: 'TDD', 'write tests first', 'red green refactor', 'test-first', 'start with the test'. Also invoked by develop and executing-plans for implementation tasks. NOT for: full feature work (use develop, which includes TDD internally).
tarot-mode
Use when session returns mode.type='tarot', user says '/tarot', or requests roundtable dialogue with archetypes. Triggers: '/tarot', 'use tarot mode', 'roundtable with archetypes', 'tarot personas'. Session-level mode, not task-level.