# efficient-fable

Distributes work between Claude Fable and cheaper subagents. It saves tokens during large repo searches, test runs, and bounded code edits.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 848 installs · ★ 4613
- Author: BuilderIO
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/BuilderIO/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/efficient-fable/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-10-22
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/efficient-fable

## What it does

This skill assigns Claude Fable the role of architect, synthesizer, and final judge. Token-heavy work goes to cheaper subagents instead. They handle doc scans, narrow bug hunts, test log reduction, and bounded code edits.

Work is handed off via self-contained packets. Each packet defines the exact objective, files in scope, expected evidence format, and explicit stop conditions. If a command fails repeatedly or touches files out of scope, the subagent halts instead of guessing.

Subagent reports are treated as leads, not verified facts. Fable must reopen cited files, check the line numbers, and inspect the final patch directly. Delegating tiny tasks or checks that require nuanced context will only add overhead. The repository includes an Excalidraw diagram at `assets/fable-orchestrator.excalidraw` to illustrate the orchestration flow.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add BuilderIO/skills --skill efficient-fable -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/efficient-fable/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/efficient-fable/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add BuilderIO/skills --skill efficient-fable -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/efficient-fable/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add BuilderIO/skills --skill efficient-fable -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/efficient-fable/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install BuilderIO/skills efficient-fable
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/efficient-fable/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add BuilderIO/skills --skill efficient-fable -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/BuilderIO/skills --path skills/efficient-fable
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/efficient-fable/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add BuilderIO/skills --skill efficient-fable -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/BuilderIO/skills/tree/HEAD/skills/efficient-fable/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- reduce token spend when searching across large repositories
- run test sweeps and log reductions in parallel subagents
- formulate isolated tasks with clear boundaries and stop conditions
- verify subagent diffs and line references before merging code

## Example prompts
- Use the efficient-fable pattern to delegate repo exploration to a subagent and review its findings.
- Write a handoff packet for a subagent to reproduce this error and return exact commands with diffs.

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: b6db36bda8281a33.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE b6db36bda8281a33
```text
---
name: efficient-fable
description: Use when running Claude Fable on codebase-heavy or token-heavy work and the user wants Fable to orchestrate research, coding, and testing while cheaper subagents do bounded heavy lifting.
---

# Efficient Fable

Use Claude Fable as the orchestrator, architect, synthesizer, and final judge.
Use cheaper subagents for token-heavy research, coding, testing, and
summarization that do not require Fable's full judgment.

## Where Fable Shines

Reserve Fable for:

- Decomposing ambiguous work into clean parallel slices.
- Architecture, product, and safety tradeoffs.
- Reading conflicting subagent reports and deciding what matters.
- Integrating partial implementations into one coherent plan.
- Final review, risk assessment, and user-facing synthesis.

## Delegation Pattern

1. Name the expensive-token risk: large repo search, long logs, broad docs, or
   repetitive edits.
2. Split independent work into subagents before reading everything yourself.
3. Use cheaper models for research scans, inventory, search summaries, narrow
   bug hunts, browser/testing passes, test output reduction, and bounded code
   edits.
4. Ask subagents for concise evidence: files, line references, commands run,
   diffs, uncertainties, and stop conditions they hit.
5. Spend Fable tokens on the decision layer: compare results, resolve conflicts,
   choose the implementation path, and review the final patch.

Prefer parallel subagents when the slices do not depend on each other. Keep
blocking or highly coupled work local.

## Handoff Packets

Write delegated prompts as if the subagent has no useful chat context. Include
only the context it needs:

- The repo path and exact objective.
- The files, packages, or surfaces in scope and anything explicitly out of
  scope.
- The evidence format to return: files, line refs, commands, diffs, failures,
  screenshots, and uncertainty.
- The verification commands or browser flows to run, plus what success should
  look like when that is knowable.
- Stop conditions: if the code does not match the prompt, a command fails after
  a reasonable retry, or the task needs out-of-scope files, stop and report
  instead of improvising.

## Vetting Delegated Work

Treat subagent reports as leads, not facts. Before using a high-impact finding,
opening a PR, or telling the user the work is done, Fable should reopen the
important cited files, confirm the relevant line refs or failures, and review
the final diff against the task. Let lighter agents gather signal; keep
truth-judgment with Fable.

## Common Scenarios

Treat these as soft defaults, not rigid rules:

- Research: ask lighter agents to scan docs, prior art, APIs, and repo surfaces;
  Fable decides what evidence changes the plan.
- Coding: give cheaper agents bounded edits or candidate patches; Fable owns
  shared-file coordination, integration, and final review.
```
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