campaign-mode

Work with a party of AI advisors with genuinely different perspectives.

SPEC-CM-007-A: Plugin Structure

Field	Value
Specification ID	SPEC-CM-007-A
Parent ADR	ADR-CM-007
Version	1.1
Status	Draft
Last Updated	2026-02-14

Overview

This specification defines the plugin manifest, directory layout, and installation methods for distributing Campaign Mode as a Claude Code plugin. The plugin packaging supplements (not replaces) the existing clone-and-copy distribution path.

Plugin Manifest

The plugin manifest lives at .claude-plugin/plugin.json in the repository root:

{
  "name": "campaign-mode",
  "description": "Quest-based extension for AI-assisted work. Three NPC agents (Gandalf, Dragon, Guardian) provide mentorship, adversarial testing, and quality gates for structured campaigns.",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "author": "Chris Barlow"
}

Claude Code auto-discovers skills from the plugin’s skills/ directory and commands from commands/. No explicit registration is required in the manifest.

Directory Layout

Plugin Distribution Structure

campaign-mode/
├── .claude-plugin/
│   └── plugin.json                     # Plugin manifest (required)
├── skills/                             # Plugin skills (auto-discovered)
│   ├── gandalf-agent/
│   │   └── SKILL.md
│   ├── dragon-agent/
│   │   └── SKILL.md
│   └── guardian-agent/
│       └── SKILL.md
├── commands/                           # Plugin commands (auto-discovered)
│   ├── campaign-setup.md              # /campaign-setup slash command
│   ├── start-quest.md                 # /start-quest slash command
│   └── continue-quest.md             # /continue-quest slash command
├── CLAUDE.md                           # Campaign guidelines (loaded per session)
└── README.md

Clone Distribution Structure (Unchanged)

campaign-mode/
├── .claude/
│   └── skills/                         # Claude Code auto-discovery directory
│       ├── gandalf-agent/
│       │   └── SKILL.md
│       ├── dragon-agent/
│       │   └── SKILL.md
│       └── guardian-agent/
│           └── SKILL.md
├── skills/                             # Canonical skill definitions
│   ├── gandalf-agent/
│   │   └── SKILL.md
│   ├── dragon-agent/
│   │   └── SKILL.md
│   └── guardian-agent/
│       └── SKILL.md
├── CLAUDE.md                           # Campaign guidelines (loaded per session)
└── README.md

How Each Path Discovers Skills

Distribution	Skills Directory	Discovery Mechanism
Plugin install	`skills/`	Plugin infrastructure auto-discovers `skills/*/SKILL.md`
Clone repo	`.claude/skills/`	Claude Code auto-discovers `.claude/skills/*/SKILL.md`

Both paths reference the same canonical skills/ files. The .claude/skills/ copies exist only for clone-path auto-discovery.

Installation Methods

Method 1: Plugin Install (Primary)

Install from the Claude Code marketplace:

/install campaign-mode

This installs the plugin, making skills and commands available immediately. CLAUDE.md is loaded per session. Run /campaign-setup to copy guidelines to your project.

Method 2: Clone Repository (Fallback)

git clone https://github.com/cgbarlow/campaign-mode.git
cd campaign-mode
# Skills auto-discovered via .claude/skills/
# CLAUDE.md loaded per session from repo root

Method 3: Copy to Existing Project

cp -r campaign-mode/.claude/skills/ your-project/.claude/skills/
cp campaign-mode/CLAUDE.md your-project/CLAUDE.md

Method 4: Personal Skills (All Projects)

cp -r campaign-mode/.claude/skills/ ~/.claude/skills/

Note: Personal skills do not include CLAUDE.md or commands. Use the plugin install for the full experience.

Plugin vs Clone Feature Comparison

Feature	Plugin Install	Clone Repo
Skill auto-discovery	Yes (plugin infrastructure)	Yes (.claude/skills/)
CLAUDE.md per session	Yes	Yes
`/campaign-setup`, `/start-quest`, `/continue-quest` commands	Yes	No
Marketplace updates	Yes	Manual (git pull)
Marketplace discoverability	Yes	No
Contribution workflow	No (install is read-only)	Yes (full repo access)

Spec ID	Title	Relationship
SPEC-CM-001-A	Campaign Mode Skill Architecture	Defines skill file structure used by both paths
SPEC-CM-004-A	Skill File Structure and Conventions	Detailed skill authoring conventions
SPEC-CM-007-B	Campaign Guidelines	CLAUDE.md content and `/campaign-setup` command

Changelog

Version	Date	Author	Changes
1.0	2026-02-14	Chris Barlow	Initial specification
1.1	2026-02-14	Chris Barlow	Added `/start-quest` and `/continue-quest` commands to plugin structure and feature comparison