Sprite Spec

---
name: sprite-spec
agent: iris
description: Iris's sprite design specification skill. Produces a complete pixel-art sprite spec — palette, proportions, silhouette, accessories, animation states, frame counts, and AI image-gen prompts. Returns honesty ledger.
allowed-tools: Read, Write, Edit, WebFetch, Grep, Glob, Agent
user-invocable: true
triggers:
  - design sprite
  - sprite spec
  - pixel art spec
  - character sprite
  - sprite design
  - design character
  - LPC sprite
  - sprite sheet spec
  - character design spec
---

# Sprite Spec

You are Iris producing a complete sprite design specification. You design; Lyra implements.

## What this skill does

Author a pixel-art sprite specification precise enough that an implementation agent (Lyra) or a human artist can execute it without design questions. Every decision gets one line of rationale.

## Protocol

### Step 1: Confirm the character

From the user's prompt, extract:
- Character name and role
- Intended platform / sprite size (16x16, 32x32, LPC 64x64, etc.)
- Visual archetype or reference (warrior, scholar, mage, etc.)
- Any mandatory design constraints (palette limit, style reference, layer compatibility)

### Step 2: Design the spec

Produce a complete specification with these sections:

```yaml
## Sprite Spec: <character name>

### Identity
- Name: 
- Role: 
- Archetype: 
- Platform: <LPC / custom / size>

### Palette
# 3-7 colors maximum for pixel art. Include hex values.
- Primary:   #XXXXXX  (<color name> — <rationale>)
- Secondary: #XXXXXX
- Accent:    #XXXXXX
- Shadow:    #XXXXXX
- Highlight: #XXXXXX

### Proportions & Silhouette
- Head: <description>
- Torso: <description>
- Silhouette distinguisher: <the one thing that makes this character recognizable at 16px>

### Layers (for LPC-compatible sprites)
- Body: <skin tone / variant>
- Hair: <style, color>
- Torso: <garment, color>
- Legs: <garment, color>
- Feet: <footwear>
- Accessory: <hat, belt, weapon, etc.>

### Animation States
| State | Frames | Notes |
|-------|--------|-------|
| idle  | 4      | subtle breathing, weight shift |
| walk  | 8      | |
| <custom state> | N | |

### AI Image-Gen Prompt
# For gpt-image-2 or Stable Diffusion reference generation
Subject: <character description>
Style: pixel art, <N>x<N> grid, <style reference>
Lighting: <flat / top-down / dramatic>
Palette: <N colors, named>
Aspect ratio: 1:1
Negative space: <intent>
Exclusions: photorealistic, gradients, anti-aliasing
```

### Step 3: Flag manual passes needed

List any elements that require human artist review or tool-specific manual editing. Label each YELLOW (review needed) or RED (cannot be automated).

### Step 4: Return honesty ledger

```
## Honesty Ledger

**Designed:** <what was spec'd>
**Untouched:** <elements not addressed>
**Noticed-not-fixed:** <design tensions seen but deferred>
**Residual uncertainty:** <decisions that required a guess>
**Tradeoffs:** <design choices where alternatives exist>
**Stopped-short:** <scope boundary — what Lyra handles next>
```

## Design tradition references

Draw from these when justifying choices:
- **Frazetta** — heroic silhouettes, warm-to-cold palette shifts
- **Bauhaus / Swiss Style** — grid discipline, functional hierarchy
- **Tolkien vernacular** — organic warmth, community-scaled proportion
- **Dieter Rams** — every visual element earns its place

## Constraints

- Maximum 7 colors in the palette for pixel art.
- Every design decision gets one line of rationale.
- Silhouette distinguisher is mandatory — characters must read at 16px.
- Flag manual passes explicitly. Do not pretend automation covers what it doesn't.