The Arena — AI Debate Moderator

Turn a Discord server into a moderated debate arena with an AI judge. Supports multiple debate formats, configurable personas, scored verdicts, and a persistent scoreboard. Keywords: debate server, debate moderator, debate judge, argument judge, discussion moderator, moderated debates, debate arena, debate bot, AI judge, the arena.

Transform any Discord server into a structured debate arena with AI moderation, fair judging, and a persistent scoreboard.

Prerequisites

This skill requires the following. Nothing is configured automatically — all privileged actions require your manual review and approval.

Requirement	Details
Discord bot token	Your existing OpenClaw bot token (already in your gateway config)
Discord bot permissions	Read/Send Messages, Create Threads, Manage Messages, Read History, Add Reactions
Discord guild (server)	You create or choose the server. You provide the guild ID.
Gateway admin access	You manually review and apply config changes via config.patch
DEBATE_SCOREBOARD_DB (optional)	Env var to set SQLite DB path. Default: ./data/scoreboard.db (within skill workspace)

Security Notes

• This skill recommends running as a separate, isolated OpenClaw agent with restricted tool access (fs.workspaceOnly: true, exec.security: "deny").
• Config changes are generated as templates for your review — never applied automatically. You must manually review and apply all gateway config patches.
• The included scripts (scripts/setup.sh, scripts/scoreboard.sh) only create files within the skill workspace. They make no network calls and write no files outside the skill directory. Inspect them before running — both are plain bash with no obfuscation, under 400 lines each.
• The scoreboard SQLite DB is created at ./data/scoreboard.db relative to the skill directory (or at $DEBATE_SCOREBOARD_DB if set). It never writes outside the skill workspace.
• Setting requireMention: false on arena channels means the bot processes every message in that channel. This increases token usage and data exposure. Use requireMention: true for lower cost and reduced visibility.

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Quick Start

Say "set up a debate server" and the agent walks you through configuration choices, then generates templates for your review.

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Onboarding Flow

Step 1 — Choose a Server

Create a new Discord server or pick an existing one. You'll need the guild ID (right-click the server icon → Copy Server ID with Developer Mode enabled).

Step 2 — Choose a Moderator Persona

Pick the voice your moderator uses during debates. Default: Scholar.

Persona	Vibe
Scholar	Measured, references history & philosophy
Sports Commentator	High-energy play-by-play
Philosopher	Socratic method, questions everything
Comedian	Witty roast-style commentary
Drill Sergeant	No-nonsense, demands evidence
Custom	You write the persona description

Details in references/personas.md.

Step 3 — Choose a Default Format

The default format used when someone starts a debate without specifying one. Default: Campfire.

Format	Style	Best For
Campfire	Free-form exchange	General topics, casual
Oxford	Formal rounds, audience vote	Serious propositions
Lincoln-Douglas	1v1 value debate	Philosophy, ethics
Hot Takes	One message each, best wins	Quick fun rounds
Devil's Advocate	Argue opposite of your belief	Steelmanning practice
Roundtable	Multi-perspective, no winner	Complex nuanced topics

Details in references/formats.md.

Step 4 — Judging Criteria Weights

Customize how the moderator scores arguments. Defaults:

Criterion	Default Weight
Evidence & Reasoning	35%
Engagement	25%
Intellectual Honesty	20%
Persuasiveness	20%

Weights must sum to 100%. Details in references/judging.md.

Step 5 — Configure Channels

Default channel names (all customizable):

Channel	Purpose
#rules	Server rules, format overview, commands
#propose-a-topic	Topic proposals and voting
#the-arena	Where debates happen
#hall-of-records	Verdicts, scoreboard, debate history
#the-bar	Casual off-topic discussion

Step 6 — Generate Config (for your review)

The agent generates config snippets and an AGENTS.md tailored to your choices. You must review and manually apply all gateway config changes. The agent does not apply config patches automatically. See references/setup-guide.md for the full config template and a step-by-step walkthrough.

Important: agents.list and bindings are arrays — config.patch replaces them entirely. Always review the full patch to ensure your existing agents and bindings are preserved.

Step 7 — Create Channels & Post Welcome Messages

After you create channels in Discord, the agent can post welcome messages from assets/welcome-messages.md — or you can copy-paste them manually.

Step 8 — Post Rules

The agent posts the full rules document in #rules.

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Configuration Reference

Persona

Controls the moderator's voice and commentary style.

• Scholar (default) — Thoughtful, measured
• Sports Commentator — Electric, play-by-play
• Philosopher — Socratic, probing
• Comedian — Witty, irreverent (still fair)
• Drill Sergeant — Harsh, demanding
• Custom — Provide your own persona description

Default Format

The format used when a debate is started without specifying one.

• Campfire (default), Oxford, Lincoln-Douglas, Hot Takes, Devil's Advocate, Roundtable

Judging Weights

Customize the four scoring criteria. Must sum to 100%.

• Evidence & Reasoning — Quality of sources, logical structure (default 35%)
• Engagement — Responding to opponents, staying on topic (default 25%)
• Intellectual Honesty — Acknowledging good points, not strawmanning (default 20%)
• Persuasiveness — Rhetorical effectiveness, clarity (default 20%)

Channel Names

All five channels can be renamed. Provide a mapping during setup.

requireMention

• true (default, recommended) — Moderator only responds when @mentioned. Lower cost, lower data exposure. Participants control pacing by tagging the moderator.
• false — Moderator sees every message and may interject actively. Higher token usage and increased data exposure. Only recommended for small, trusted servers with low message volume.

Verdict Style

How the moderator delivers the final ruling.

• Detailed — Full scorecard with per-criterion scores and commentary
• Brief — Winner announcement with one-paragraph summary
• Dramatic — Theatrical ruling with buildup and flair

Scoreboard

• on (default) — SQLite-backed. Records wins, losses, topics, formats.
• off — No persistent tracking.

CLI: scripts/scoreboard.sh. DB location: $DEBATE_SCOREBOARD_DB or ./data/scoreboard.db.

Debate Timeout

Hours before the moderator flags a stale debate. Default: 48.

Max Concurrent Debates

Maximum simultaneous debates in the arena. Default: 3.

Topic Restrictions

• unrestricted (default) — No topic is off-limits. The moderator judges arguments on merit regardless of subject matter.
• restricted — Provide a list of banned topics or categories.

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How It Works

Proposing a Topic

In #propose-a-topic, post:

Topic: [Your topic]
Format: [optional — defaults to server default]

Others react with 👍 to show interest. When at least two people are ready, anyone can say "let's debate" to move to the arena.

Starting a Debate

In #the-arena, the moderator:

1. Announces the topic and format
2. Assigns or confirms sides (except Roundtable/Hot Takes)
3. Posts the rules for that format
4. Calls for opening statements

Participants can also start directly in the arena:

@Moderator start debate: "Pineapple belongs on pizza" [format: hot-takes]

During a Debate

The moderator's behavior depends on the format:

• Campfire — Interjects to track flow, flag fallacies, prompt responses
• Oxford — Strictly enforces rounds, time, and turn order
• Lincoln-Douglas — Enforces alternation between affirmative and negative
• Hot Takes — Collects one message per participant, then judges
• Devil's Advocate — Monitors that participants argue against their stated beliefs
• Roundtable — Asks probing questions, synthesizes themes

The moderator flags logical fallacies, tracks participation balance, and keeps the debate moving. In mention-only mode, participants @mention for moderator input.

Calling for a Verdict

• Either debater says "I rest my case"
• The moderator can call it after sustained inactivity
• The moderator runs a ready check: both sides must confirm

Verdicts

The moderator evaluates using the configured judging weights and delivers the verdict in the configured style. The verdict is posted in both #the-arena and #hall-of-records.

Scoreboard

When the scoreboard is enabled, results are automatically recorded.

Commands (via scripts/scoreboard.sh):

scoreboard.sh init                              # Create database
scoreboard.sh record <winner> <loser> <topic>   # Record result
scoreboard.sh leaderboard                       # Show standings
scoreboard.sh history [--limit N]               # Recent debates
scoreboard.sh stats <participant>               # Individual stats
scoreboard.sh reset                             # Clear all data

The moderator should run these automatically when delivering verdicts and when users ask for standings.

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Channel Behavior Matrix

Channel	Moderator Behavior
#rules	Posts rules only. Does not engage in conversation.
#propose-a-topic	Acknowledges proposals, suggests formats, helps refine topics.
#the-arena	Full moderator mode. Manages debates, enforces rules, delivers verdicts.
#hall-of-records	Posts verdicts and scoreboard updates. Read-only for moderator.
#the-bar	Casual mode. Can chat, joke, discuss past debates. No moderation.

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Security Model

The debate moderator MUST run as a separate OpenClaw agent with restricted permissions. This is critical because the debate server is semi-public — other users interact with the bot, and prompt injection is a real risk.

Recommended agent restrictions:

• tools.fs.workspaceOnly: true — can only read/write within the skill workspace
• tools.exec.security: "deny" — cannot execute shell commands
• tools.deny list blocking: exec, process, nodes, cron, gateway, browser, canvas, sessions_*, subagents, memory_search, memory_get, tts, image
• tools.profile: "messaging" — only Discord messaging + web search (for fact-checking)

What this ensures:

• No access to the owner's personal files, messages, or other agents
• No ability to send emails, read calendars, or access other services
• Even if a participant attempts prompt injection, there is nothing to exfiltrate

All config changes are your responsibility. The agent generates templates; you review and apply them. See references/setup-guide.md for the full security configuration and a tested tool deny list.

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File Reference

File	Purpose
references/formats.md	Detailed format rules and moderator instructions
references/personas.md	Full persona descriptions and voice guides
references/judging.md	Scoring criteria, bonuses, penalties, format adjustments
references/setup-guide.md	Gateway config template, permissions, security
references/agents-template.md	Complete AGENTS.md template for the debate agent
scripts/scoreboard.sh	SQLite scoreboard CLI
scripts/setup.sh	Interactive setup wizard
assets/welcome-messages.md	Default welcome messages for all channels