magic

Magic — Surprise Challenges

Overview

Unpredictable challenges that make learning fun. Each session randomly picks one of three modes, researches something fascinating, and drops you into it.

Prerequisites

At least one topic at "beginner" level or above. Run /lutherskills:init first if needed.

Flow

Step 1: Load Profile

Read profile.json. Verify at least one sub-topic is at beginner+.

Step 2: Pick Mode

Randomly select one of three modes. To add randomness, use the current timestamp's last digit: 0-3 = deep-dive, 4-6 = fusion (if 2+ topics active, else deep-dive), 7-9 = reverse engineering.

Check recent magic challenges in challenges/magic/ to avoid repeating the same mode three times in a row.

Step 3: Execute Mode

Mode 1: Random Deep-Dive

Pick an obscure, fascinating topic adjacent to something the user is learning. Research it online and create a "did you know?" lesson with a challenge.

Examples by topic:

• EE: "How a 555 timer was used to create the first drum machines"
• Embedded: "The story of the Therac-25 — when software bugs killed people"
• Networking: "How BGP hijacking accidentally rerouted YouTube through Pakistan"

Steps:

1. WebSearch for interesting/obscure facts related to user's active topics
2. Find the real story behind it
3. Create a lesson + challenge that teaches the underlying technical concept

Announce: "DEEP DIVE — Down the rabbit hole..."

Mode 2: Cross-Domain Fusion

Combine two of the user's active topics into one challenge. Only available if user has 2+ active topics.

Examples:

• EE + Embedded: "Design a voltage level shifter circuit for UART between a 3.3V and 5V microcontroller"
• Embedded + Networking: "Implement a simple HTTP client on a bare-metal microcontroller (pseudocode)"
• EE + Networking: "Calculate the impedance matching needed for an Ethernet transformer"

Steps:

1. Identify intersection points between two active topics
2. WebSearch for real-world applications at that intersection
3. Create a challenge that requires knowledge from both domains

Announce: "FUSION — Where worlds collide..."

Mode 3: Reverse Engineering

Drop a mystery artifact with zero context. The user figures out what it does.

Artifact types:

• Code snippet: Uncommented C code that does something non-obvious (e.g., bit-banged protocol, CRC implementation)
• Circuit description: Component list and connections — what does this circuit do?
• Packet dump: Hex dump of network traffic — what protocol, what's being communicated?

Steps:

1. WebSearch for interesting real-world examples at the user's level
2. Find something genuinely puzzling but solvable
3. Strip all context and present as mystery

Announce: "MYSTERY — What is this thing?"

Step 4: Create Challenge

Create challenge file: challenges/magic/<mode>-<NNN>-<slug>.md

Examples:

• challenges/magic/deep-dive-001-555-drum-machines.md
• challenges/magic/fusion-001-uart-level-shifter.md
• challenges/magic/reverse-001-mystery-crc.md

Challenge file includes:

• Mode type
• The lesson/story (for deep-dive) or context (for fusion) or artifact (for reverse engineering)
• The challenge itself
• Acceptance criteria
• NO hints — this is magic, figure it out

Tell the user what to do and where to write their solution.

Step 5: Review & Reveal

After user submits solution:

1. Review against acceptance criteria
2. Score (same 0.0-1.0 scale as learn skill)
3. Reveal the backstory:
   • Deep-dive: the full story, why it matters, links to learn more
   • Fusion: how this applies in real-world engineering
   • Reverse engineering: what the artifact actually is, where it came from

The reveal is half the learning value — don't skip it.

Step 6: Award Magic Points & Update

Award magic points based on score:

• 0.9+: 3 magic points
• 0.7-0.89: 2 magic points
• Below 0.7: 1 magic point (participation counts)

Update profile.json:

• stats.magic_points += awarded
• stats.total_challenges += 1
• stats.last_active and streak update
• Level-up check on relevant sub-topics

Commit and push:

git add challenges/magic/ profile.json
git commit -m "magic: [mode] — [slug], score [X], +[N] magic points"
git push

Show: "+[N] magic points! Total: [total]. Next mystery awaits..."

Common Mistakes

• Don't pick topics way above the user's level — magic should be challenging but not impossible
• Don't reuse the same mode three times in a row
• Always reveal the backstory — that's half the learning value
• For reverse engineering, make sure the artifact is solvable with the user's current knowledge