holonovel

Countdown Manager

manage_countdown

Destructive

Set, advance, remove, or list countdown timers in the active Novel so thresholds fire world effects and scene transitions can advance clocks automatically.

Instructions

Manage countdown timers in the active Novel. set accepts a starting tick count and optional total; advance fires the configured world_effect when the countdown reaches its threshold, and on_scene_transition advances it automatically; direction shifts NPC dispositions only when scope is also set. Mutating actions persist to the Novel and are audited; list is read-only. Use when: starting, advancing, removing, or listing clocks. Do NOT use when: tracking a vow's progress — use manage_vow (action: milestone). Revert with manage_history (action: undo).

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`name`	No	Countdown name (set/advance/remove).
`type`	No	round or narrative (set).
`scope`	No	Optional scope name (set).
`ticks`	No	Starting ticks (set).
`total`	No	Optional capacity for decrement refills (set; defaults to ticks).
`action`	Yes	set, advance, remove, or list.
`triggers`	No	Optional world-model triggers (set).
`direction`	No	Optional direction: increment or decrement (set).
`world_effect`	No	Optional world-model effect applied when the countdown fires (set).
`on_scene_transition`	No	When true, advance on each scene transition (set).

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`text`	No	Human-readable text envelope mirroring the structured result (REQ-001, REQ-548a).
`status`	Yes	Machine-readable result status: OK, NEED_INPUT, WARNING, PARTIAL, or an error category (REQ-002, REQ-548c).

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed2 schema fields changedv2026.10.13Oct 25, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / ticks / minimum
```
Previous value: -1New value: +0
```

addedInput schema / properties / total

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Optional capacity for decrement refills (set; defaults to ticks).",
+  "minimum": 1,
+  "type": "number"
+}

Addedv1.0.3Sep 29, 2026

TDQS

A4.5/5.0

Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare destructiveHint=true and readOnlyHint=false at tool level, so the bar is lower; the description adds valuable per-action nuance that annotations cannot — 'Mutating actions persist to the Novel and are audited; list is read-only' — and clarifies that advance fires world_effect and on_scene_transition auto-advances. It stops short of describing what 'remove' discards or any auth/permission requirements, so not a 5.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Front-loads the core purpose, then uses labeled 'Use when / Do NOT use / Revert' segments that scan well. The middle behavioral clause is densely packed but every sentence carries distinct information, so only minor tightening is possible.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a 10-parameter tool with a nested world_effect object and an output schema (so return values needn't be explained), the description covers actions, per-action mutations, dependency rules, and routing to alternatives. It is essentially complete, with only the destructive 'remove' semantics left unstated.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100%, so baseline is 3, but the description adds cross-parameter semantics the schema lacks: 'intention' advances on scene transition, and 'direction shifts NPC dispositions only when scope is also set' — a real dependency rule. The set/advance/remove action-per-parameter mapping (name, ticks, total) is also clarified.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb+resource ('Manage countdown timers in the active Novel') and then enumerates every action (set/advance/remove/list) with its distinct behavior, so an agent knows exactly what the tool does and how each action differs. It also explicitly names the sibling it is not (manage_vow).

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Uses explicit 'Use when: starting, advancing, removing, or listing clocks' and 'Do NOT use when: tracking a vow's progress — use manage_vow (action: milestone)', plus a revert path via manage_history (action: undo). Alternatives and exclusions are both spelled out, nothing left to inference.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.