holonovel

Countdown Manager

manage_countdown

Destructive

Start, advance, remove, or list countdown timers in an active Novel. Mutations persist and can be undone; not for vow tracking.

Instructions

Manage countdown timers in the active Novel. Mutating actions persist to the Novel and are audited; read-only actions do not mutate state. Revert the most recent mutation with manage_history (action: undo). set's direction shifts NPC dispositions only when scope is also set. Use when: starting, advancing, removing, or listing clocks. Do NOT use when: tracking a vow's progress — use manage_vow (action: milestone).

Input Schema

TableJSON 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).
`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

TableJSON 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.

Addedv1.0.3Sep 29, 2026

TDQS

A4.9/5.0

Behavior5/5

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

Annotations already flag destructiveHint=true and non-idempotent, but the description adds real context beyond them: mutating actions persist to the Novel and are audited while read-only actions do not mutate state, mutation is reversible via manage_history (action: undo), and set's direction only shifts NPC dispositions when scope is also set. That is a conditional side-effect rule and a recovery path an agent could not infer from structured fields.

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

Conciseness5/5

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

Four tightly packed sentences, zero filler, with the mutating/read-only distinction and the sibling exclusion front-loaded before the conditional detail. Each sentence adds information.

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

Completeness5/5

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

With an output schema present and 100% schema coverage, the description need not restate returns or parameters. It covers scope of operation, mutation semantics, sibling disambiguation, and the undo path — everything needed to call this 9-parameter tool correctly.

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 description coverage is 100%, so the schema carries the per-parameter burden and baseline is 3. The description adds a genuine cross-parameter rule ('direction shifts NPC dispositions only when scope is also set') that the schema does not express, exceeding baseline.

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 explicitly distinguishes itself from the closest sibling ('use manage_vow (action: milestone)' for vows). An agent can route correctly without opening either schema.

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?

Explicit 'Use when: starting, advancing, removing, or listing clocks' and 'Do NOT use when: tracking a vow's progress' with the named alternative. Both the positive and negative conditions are stated.

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