# Caveman Skill Intensity Levels: The Complete Guide (6 Modes Explained)

> Explore Caveman skill intensity levels: lite, full, ultra, wenyan-lite, wenyan-full, and wenyan-ultra. Control prose compression with this complete guide.

- Repository: [Julius Brussee/caveman](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman)
- Tags: deep-dive
- Published: 2026-09-06

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**The Caveman skill offers six distinct intensity levels—`lite`, `full` (default), `ultra`, `wenyan-lite`, `wenyan-full`, and `wenyan-ultra`—that control how aggressively the model compresses prose into terse, caveman-style output.**

The Caveman skill trims model responses into minimalist, high-density prose inspired by "caveman" speech patterns. Depending on which **Caveman skill intensity level** you select, the output ranges from lightly edited professional sentences to extreme telegraphic fragments—or even classical Chinese registers. This guide breaks down each level's behavior, how to invoke them, and where they're defined in the source code.

## How Intensity Levels Work

The Caveman skill's intensity system is a **rule-based compression engine** that applies different rewrite strategies based on your chosen setting. Each level progressively strips filler words, grammatical scaffolding, and syntactic complexity.

The six levels fall into two families:

- **Modern English modes:** `lite`, `full`, `ultra`
- **Classical Chinese (文言文) modes:** `wenyan-lite`, `wenyan-full`, `wenyan-ultra`

All six are documented in [`skills/caveman/README.md`](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/skills/caveman/README.md) and exposed through the `/caveman` command interface defined in [`skills/caveman/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/skills/caveman/SKILL.md).

## The Six Caveman Intensity Levels Explained

### `lite`: Professional Concision

**Removes filler and hedging while preserving complete sentences.**

- Cuts phrases like "I think," "perhaps," and "it seems that"
- Output remains grammatically intact and workplace-appropriate
- Best for: Executive summaries, quick briefings where tone matters

### `full`: Balanced Compression (Default)

**Drops articles, permits short synonyms, and allows fragmentary phrases.**

- This is the **default intensity** when you invoke `/caveman` without arguments
- "The quick brown fox" becomes "Quick brown fox"
- Indicated in [`src/rules/caveman-openclaw-bootstrap.md`](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/src/rules/caveman-openclaw-bootstrap.md) as the baseline behavior

### `ultra`: Maximum Density

**Produces bare fragments, aggressive abbreviations, and arrow-based causality.**

- Abbreviations: `DB` (database), `auth` (authentication), `fn` (function), `ref` (reference)
- Arrows (`→`, `=`) replace "causes" or "leads to"
- Grammatical sentences are abandoned entirely
- Best for: Speed-reading dense technical material, personal notes

### `wenyan-lite`: Classical Chinese, Light Touch

**文言文 register with moderate compression.**

- Applies classical Chinese lexical choices and grammatical structures
- Retains slightly more connective tissue than deeper wenyan modes

### `wenyan-full`: Full Classical Compression

**Maximum classical-Chinese density while remaining parseable.**

- Heavy use of literary particles (之, 其, 而)
- Parallel structure and extreme ellipsis

### `wenyan-ultra`: Extreme Classical Condensation

**Most compressed output in any mode.**

- Approaches the density of historical Chinese commentaries
- Requires familiarity with 文言文 conventions

## How to Switch Intensity Levels

Invoke any level using the `/caveman` command with the level name as an argument:

```bash

# Default full intensity

/caveman

# Explicit full (same as default)

/caveman full

# Lighter touch

/caveman lite

# Extreme compression

/caveman ultra

# Classical Chinese variants

/caveman wenyan-lite
/caveman wenyan-full
/caveman wenyan-ultra

# Disable and return to normal prose

stop caveman

```

The command syntax is specified in [`skills/caveman/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/skills/caveman/SKILL.md), which contains the complete LLM-facing instruction set for parsing these switches.

## Auto-Clarity Safeguard

The Caveman skill includes a **context-awareness override** to prevent dangerous ambiguity. When the model detects:

- Security warnings or safety-critical content
- Multi-step procedural instructions
- Repeated user questions (indicating possible confusion)

…it temporarily exits caveman mode, renders the response in normal prose, then reactivates your selected intensity for subsequent turns. This safeguard is implemented as part of the skill's rule engine referenced in the bootstrap configuration.

## Output Comparison: Same Question, Different Intensities

Consider the question: *"Why does my React component re-render?"*

| Intensity | Output |
|-----------|--------|
| **Full** | "New object ref each render. Inline object prop = new ref = re-render. Wrap in `useMemo`." |
| **Ultra** | "Inline obj prop → new ref → re-render. `useMemo`." |

The `ultra` version cut 7 words to 6 tokens while preserving all technical meaning—a **compression ratio of roughly 60%** without losing actionable guidance.

## Where Intensity Levels Are Defined

| File | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| [`skills/caveman/README.md`](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/skills/caveman/README.md) | Documents all six intensity levels with usage examples [[Link]](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/skills/caveman/README.md) |
| [`skills/caveman/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/skills/caveman/SKILL.md) | Contains the LLM-facing instructions including the `/caveman [level]` command syntax [[Link]](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/skills/caveman/SKILL.md) |
| [`src/rules/caveman-openclaw-bootstrap.md`](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/src/rules/caveman-openclaw-bootstrap.md) | References the default `full` intensity and switching mechanism [[Link]](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/src/rules/caveman-openclaw-bootstrap.md) |

These files together form the authoritative specification for the Caveman skill's intensity system.

## Summary

- Six **Caveman skill intensity levels** exist: `lite`, `full` (default), `ultra`, `wenyan-lite`, `wenyan-full`, and `wenyan-ultra`
- Modern English modes compress progressively; wenyan modes apply classical Chinese registers at parallel intensities
- Switch levels with `/caveman [level]`; disable with `stop caveman`
- Auto-clarity safeguard pauses caveman mode for safety-critical or confusing contexts
- Source definitions live in [`skills/caveman/README.md`](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/skills/caveman/README.md), [`skills/caveman/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/skills/caveman/SKILL.md), and [`src/rules/caveman-openclaw-bootstrap.md`](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/src/rules/caveman-openclaw-bootstrap.md)

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is the default Caveman skill intensity level?

The default is **`full`**. When you run `/caveman` without specifying a level, the skill applies standard compression: articles dropped, short synonyms allowed, fragmentary phrases permitted. This default is established in [`src/rules/caveman-openclaw-bootstrap.md`](https://github.com/JuliusBrussee/caveman/blob/main/src/rules/caveman-openclaw-bootstrap.md).

### Can I use Caveman intensity levels with languages other than English?

Yes—the **`wenyan-*` modes** are specifically designed for Classical Chinese (文言文). These apply the same compression philosophy using historical Chinese lexical and grammatical conventions. No other modern languages have dedicated modes in the current implementation.

### Does the ultra intensity level ever hurt comprehension?

For technical readers familiar with the domain, **`ultra` typically preserves sufficient signal**. However, the auto-clarity safeguard automatically disables caveman mode when it detects potentially dangerous contexts (security warnings, procedural instructions) where ambiguity risks outweigh brevity benefits.

### How do I completely turn off the Caveman skill?

Send **`stop caveman`** (without the slash prefix). This command exits caveman mode entirely and restores normal prose generation for all subsequent turns until you re-invoke `/caveman`.