# Delegation guards

The delegation table and the model rules live in the igor skill (`## Delegation`). This file holds the guards behind them.

Write capability:

- **`Explore` and `Plan` are read-only.** They cannot use Edit, Write or NotebookEdit. Never dispatch them for a task that must produce a file (report, design, plan, research note); use them only when the answer comes back in the reply text.
- **Prefer Spire's pinned read-only agents over `Explore`.** Use `scout` or `search` for lookups.
- **Tasks that produce a file need a write-capable agent:** general-purpose (omit `subagent_type`) or a pinned agent with Edit/Write (`researcher`, `adept`, `athanor`, `planner`, `attacker`, `reviewer`). Research that must produce a written report goes to `researcher`.

Sub-delegation:

- Agent types without the Agent tool cannot spawn children: `scout`, `search`, `researcher`, `planner`, `attacker`, `reviewer`, `Explore` and `Plan` are safe leaves. `general-purpose` agents have the Agent tool and *can* sub-delegate: give them the leaf-brief line, or route fan-out work to `athanor` on purpose. Expect a second, differently-`task-id`'d notification only when you dispatched something allowed to fan out.

Add new agents and heuristics to the igor skill's table as they prove out.