Ring:Testing Skills With Subagents logo

Ring:Testing Skills With Subagents

Organization
LerianStudio
ring:testing-skills-with-subagents

Hardening a skill so it resists rationalization under pressure: run combined-pressure scenarios on a subagent without the skill (RED), capture excuses verbatim, write/edit the skill (GREEN), then plug loopholes (REFACTOR) until compliance holds. Use when deploying or editing a discipline-enforcing skill that an agent could rationalize away. Skip for pure reference skills with no rules to violate.

Overview

PublisherLerianStudio
Repositoryring
Skill namering:testing-skills-with-subagents
Stars
215
Forks
28
Bundled files
Instructions only
LicenseApache-2.0
Links
Skill sourceRepositoryHomepage
  • Markdown instructions

    A SKILL.md file the model loads on demand, so it only costs tokens when a request actually matches.

  • Works with any LLM

    AI skills are plain Markdown, not provider-specific code, so this works with GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model.

  • Self-contained

    Everything the model needs lives in the instructions — no extra files to sync.

  • Open source

    Published by LerianStudio on GitHub. Read the source before you install it.

Installation

Install the Ring:Testing Skills With Subagents AI skill in TypingMind to use it with any LLM, or drop it into another agent that reads SKILL.md.

1

Install in TypingMind

TypingMind installs a skill straight from its GitHub folder — it reads SKILL.md, bundles the resource files, and stores the result locally.

  1. Open the app and go to Plugins → Skills.
  2. Choose "Install from GitHub".
  3. Paste the skill folder URL below and confirm.
  4. Enable the skill in any chat where you want it available.
Plugins → Skills → Add skill → From GitHub URL, then paste the folder URL and press Continue.
2

Install in another agent

Any agent that reads the Agent Skills format can use this skill — copy the folder into that agent's skills directory.

Claude Code — .claude/skills
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/LerianStudio/ring.git /tmp/ring
mkdir -p .claude/skills
cp -r /tmp/ring/default/skills/testing-skills-with-subagents .claude/skills/lerianstudio-ring-testing-skills-with-subagents
Restart Claude Code after copying so it picks up the new skill.

Use it in TypingMind

Enable Ring:Testing Skills With Subagents in any TypingMind chat and the model takes it from there. Its name and description sit in the system prompt, and the moment a request matches, the model loads the full instructions itself — you never invoke it by hand, and it costs no tokens until it is actually used.

The model loads Ring:Testing Skills With Subagents on its own as soon as a request matches it.

Works with any AI model

AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so Ring:Testing Skills With Subagents is not tied to the model it was written for. Install it once in TypingMind and use it with GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama, or a local model you run yourself — all on your own API keys.

  • Loaded only when it is needed

    The system prompt carries just the name and description. The instructions are fetched on the first matching request, so an idle skill costs nothing.

  • Switch models mid-chat

    Because the skill is instructions rather than code, changing model does not break it — the next model reads the same SKILL.md.

Skill instructions

This is the SKILL.md content the model loads. Read it before installing — a skill is instructions your model will follow.

Testing Skills With Subagents

When to use

  • Before deploying a new skill
  • After editing an existing skill
  • Skill enforces discipline that could be rationalized away

Skip when

  • Pure reference skill → no behavior to test
  • No rules that agents have incentive to bypass

Related

Complementary: ring:writing-skills, ring:test-driven-development

Testing skills is TDD applied to process documentation.

Run scenarios without the skill (RED — watch agent fail), write skill addressing those failures (GREEN), then close loopholes (REFACTOR).

Prerequisite: Understand ring:test-driven-development first. Complete worked example: examples/CLAUDE_MD_TESTING.md.

When to Test

Test skills that: enforce discipline (TDD, testing requirements), have compliance costs (time, effort, rework), could be rationalized away ("just this once"), or contradict immediate goals (speed over quality).

Skip: Pure reference skills (API docs), skills without rules to violate.

TDD Mapping

TDD PhaseSkill TestingWhat You Do
REDBaseline testRun scenario WITHOUT skill, watch agent fail
Verify REDCapture rationalizationsDocument exact failures verbatim
GREENWrite skillAddress specific baseline failures
Verify GREENPressure testRun WITH skill, verify compliance under pressure
REFACTORPlug holesFind new rationalizations, add counters

RED Phase: Watch It Fail

Run 3+ combined-pressure scenarios WITHOUT the skill. Document agent choices and rationalizations word-for-word.

Why verbatim? Exact wording reveals the loopholes to close.

Writing Pressure Scenarios

QualityExample
Bad"What does the skill say?" — agent recites
Good"Production down, $10k/min, 5min window" — single pressure
Great"3hr/200 lines done, 6pm, dinner plans, forgot TDD. A) Delete B) Commit C) Tests now" — multi-pressure + forced choice

Pressure types: Time (deadline), sunk cost (hours invested), authority (senior says skip), economic (job at stake), exhaustion (end of day), pragmatic ("being realistic").

Best tests combine 3+ pressures.

GREEN Phase: Write Minimal Skill

Address the specific failures documented in RED. Don't add hypothetical content — write just enough to address actual observed failures. Re-run same scenarios WITH skill; agent should now comply.

REFACTOR Phase: Close Loopholes

Agent still violated rule despite having the skill? Capture new rationalizations verbatim:

  • "This case is different because..."
  • "I'm following the spirit not the letter"
  • "Being pragmatic means adapting"

For each rationalization, add: explicit negation rule, rationalization table entry, red flag entry.

Meta-test: "You read the skill and chose wrong anyway. How could the skill have been written to make the right answer the only acceptable one?"

Continue REFACTOR until no new rationalizations appear.

Signs of Bulletproof Skill

  • Agent chooses correct option under maximum pressure
  • Agent cites skill sections as justification
  • Agent acknowledges temptation but follows rule anyway
  • Meta-test reveals "skill was clear, I should follow it"

Real-World Impact

From applying TDD to TDD skill itself:

  • 6 RED-GREEN-REFACTOR iterations to bulletproof
  • 10+ unique rationalizations discovered
  • Each REFACTOR closed specific loopholes
  • Final: 100% compliance under maximum pressure

Frequently asked questions

What does the Ring:Testing Skills With Subagents AI skill do?

Hardening a skill so it resists rationalization under pressure: run combined-pressure scenarios on a subagent without the skill (RED), capture excuses verbatim, write/edit the skill (GREEN), then plug loopholes (REFACTOR) until compliance holds. Use when deploying or editing a discipline-enforcing skill that an agent could rationalize away. Skip for pure reference skills with no rules to violate.

Why use Ring:Testing Skills With Subagents on TypingMind?

Because you install it once and use it with any model. Ring:Testing Skills With Subagents is plain Markdown rather than provider-specific code, so the same skill runs on GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model — and you can switch model mid-chat without it breaking. TypingMind runs on your own API keys, so you pay providers directly instead of a per-seat subscription, and your skills and chats stay in your own storage.

How do I install Ring:Testing Skills With Subagents in TypingMind?

Open Plugins → Skills → Install from GitHub in TypingMind and paste https://github.com/LerianStudio/ring/tree/main/default/skills/testing-skills-with-subagents. TypingMind reads its SKILL.md and installs it as a skill you can enable per chat.

Which AI models can use Ring:Testing Skills With Subagents?

Any model you connect in TypingMind. AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and local models can all load this skill when a request matches it.

How many AI models can I use with Ring:Testing Skills With Subagents?

As many as you like. As long as a model supports skills, you can use Ring:Testing Skills With Subagents with it — GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama and more — all on TypingMind with your own API keys.

Is the Ring:Testing Skills With Subagents AI skill free?

Yes. It is published on GitHub by LerianStudio under the Apache-2.0 license. You only pay your own AI provider for the tokens you use.

What are AI skills?

An AI skill is a reusable instruction bundle that teaches an AI model how to do one specific task. It follows the open Agent Skills format: a SKILL.md file with a name and description, plus any scripts, templates or reference files the model may need. The model reads the instructions only when your request matches the skill, so an installed skill costs nothing until it is used.

How are AI skills different from plugins or MCP servers?

A plugin or MCP server gives a model new tools to call — code that runs somewhere and returns a result. An AI skill gives the model knowledge and process instead: how to approach a task, which steps to follow, what good output looks like. Skills are plain Markdown, so they need no server, no API key and no runtime, and they work with any model.

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