How to use the Roundtable Debate Host agent skill (ljg-roundtable)

What is an agent skill, and what does this one make the agent do?

An agent skill is a folder with a SKILL.md file that gives an AI agent specific instructions for a task. When a request matches the skill's description, the agent follows those instructions. The skill's name is ljg-roundtable, and it is found in the skills/ljg-roundtable folder of the lijigang/ljg-skills repository under the MIT licence.

Once triggered, the agent acts as a moderator. It invites 3 to 5 real people, lets them debate in turns, and pushes them to challenge each other instead of agreeing. After each round it draws a small ASCII diagram of the argument's structure and offers a menu of commands. When you stop, it writes a summary and saves the full transcript to a Markdown file.

• Picks thinkers who are real and whose views you can test against their own writing, and includes at least one outsider to the topic.
• Requires each speaker to respond to the previous remarks, and labels each contribution as one of six action types: 陈述 (state), 质疑 (question), 补充 (add), 反驳 (rebut), 修正 (revise), 综合 (synthesise).
• Ends each speaker's turn with a one-sentence 简言之 (in short) summary.

Install the Roundtable Debate Host skill

Download the ZIP of the skill from this page and unzip it. The skill is a folder containing SKILL.md and references/original-prompt.md, so keep that structure intact.

For a personal install, place the unzipped folder in ~/.claude/skills/. To scope it to one project, place it in that project's .claude/skills/ folder instead.

Alternatively, upload the skill in the Claude apps under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.

• Personal install: ~/.claude/skills/ (available across your projects).
• Project install: the .claude/skills/ folder inside a specific project.
• Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload.

How do you start a roundtable with a natural request?

You do not need special syntax. The skill's description lists trigger phrases: 圆桌讨论, 圆桌, roundtable and 辩论. You can also ask for a multi-perspective debate on any topic. The skill's own examples show requests in Chinese such as 圆桌讨论 人工智能是否拥有真正的创造力？ and 圆桌 自由意志是否存在？

If you say only 圆桌讨论 without naming a topic, the agent will ask you for one before starting. Topics work best when they are contested questions, because the format is built around disagreement.

• 圆桌讨论 人工智能是否拥有真正的创造力？
• 圆桌 自由意志是否存在？
• Roundtable: is punishment ever justified? (an English request using the trigger word)

How do you steer the debate with commands?

After each round the moderator shows a menu: (指令: 可 / 止 / 深入此节 / 引入新人物). Reply with one of these commands to control the pace.

可 accepts the next-level question and continues. 止 ends the debate and moves to the summary. 深入此节 stays on the current dispute and digs further without advancing. 引入新人物 lets you name a new thinker; the moderator introduces that person and asks them to state a position on the current topic first.

• 可: continue to the next question.
• 止: stop and summarise.
• 深入此节: stay on the current disagreement.
• 引入新人物: add a thinker you name.

What do you get at the end, and where is it saved?

When you send 止, the moderator writes a global summary, draws a knowledge-network ASCII diagram linking key concepts, positions and disputes, and lists open questions the debate raised but did not settle.

The full transcript is written to a Markdown file in ~/Context, named with a timestamp and the topic keyword in the pattern {timestamp}--圆桌-{議題關鍵詞}__roundtable.md. The file contains the participants, the opening definitions, each round's statements, the moderator's round reviews, the global summary and the open questions. The agent reports the file path when it finishes.

• Participants and why each was chosen.
• Opening definitions round.
• Each round's full statements and moderator review, including ASCII diagrams.
• Global summary, knowledge network and open questions.

Safety notes: scripts, network and files written

This skill runs no scripts and uses no network access, according to its listing. Its one side effect is file writing: it saves the transcript automatically to ~/Context when the debate ends. If you do not want files written to your home directory, do not use the skill or do not end the session with 止.

The skill's instructions call the date command to build the timestamp for the filename. Review the output path before you rely on it.

• No scripts are run and no network use is listed.
• Transcripts are written automatically to ~/Context.

Tips for a better debate

Choose a question where thoughtful people disagree, such as one with competing definitions. Use 深入此节 when a disagreement is the interesting part, and use 引入新人物 when the current voices all share an assumption you want challenged.

Because the personas imitate real people's views and are not checked quotations, treat attributions as prompts to verify, not as sources.

• Pick a contested topic and let the moderator define terms first.
• Use 深入此节 to press on the sharpest disagreement.
• Add an outsider with 引入新人物 if everyone agrees too easily.
• Verify any quote or claim against the original works before citing it.