diff --git a/docs/runtime.md b/docs/runtime.md
index 8dfc042..ec2acb4 100644
--- a/docs/runtime.md
+++ b/docs/runtime.md
@@ -246,6 +246,56 @@ in-process. The package is **not** a default dep — install it explicitly
 (`npm i prismarine-viewer`) before enabling. If missing, the runtime
 logs a warning and continues.
 
+### Scheduler driven by the curriculum (2026-05-26)
+
+The reflex chain is now: `defend → eat → sleep → curriculum → idle`.
+
+`curriculumReflex` reads `snapshot.curriculum.plan.skillId` (populated
+by `runtime/curriculum.js` each tick) and dispatches it via
+`runSkill(skillId, ctx)`. Recovery hints flow back through
+`ctx.skillBackoff`:
+
+- If the skill's `recover()` returns `{ hint: "wander" }` (e.g.
+  `gather.logs` returns `code: "no_target"` because there's no tree
+  within 32m), the curriculum reflex swaps to `wander` for ~60 s.
+- If the result code is `missing_tool` / `missing_material` /
+  `no_target` / `no_food_source` / `unsupported_version`, that
+  specific skill backs off for 60 s instead of retrying every tick.
+- Unknown `skillId` (curriculum suggested something that isn't
+  registered yet) falls through to `wander` — useful while we wire
+  future skills like `village.build-shelter`.
+
+The old `techTreeReflex` and `autonomousReflex` were removed — the
+curriculum + craft skills cover their territory, and unit tests in
+`runtime/reflex.test.js` exercise the new dispatch paths.
+
+### Chat banter escalation to Pi (2026-05-26)
+
+When `social/intent.js` classifies an inbound line as
+`ADDRESSED_BANTER` and templates can't answer, `bot.js` spawns a
+one-shot `askPi` with the bot's runtime state + the last 5 lines from
+that speaker (redacted via `chatMemory`). The reply is capped at 200
+chars and sent as a single chat line.
+
+Hard rate limit so banter can't drain the LLM budget:
+**6 calls per hour, minimum 90 s between calls.** Suppressed escalations log
+once and silently drop.
+
+### Base-site scoring + locations (2026-05-26)
+
+- **`runtime/locations.js`** — atomic JSON store at
+  `state/<host>/locations.json`. `setLocation(name, {x,y,z,…})`,
+  `getLocation(name)`, `nearestLocation({x,z})`.
+- **`runtime/base-site.js`** — `scoreCurrentPosition(bot)` returns
+  `{score, reasons, position}` based on wood/stone/water proximity,
+  surface flatness, distance to other players and absence of foreign
+  builds (man-made blocks not in the owned-blocks ledger).
+- **`runtime/skills/choose-base.js`** — `village.choose-base` scores
+  the current spot; if `score ≥ 8` it writes `locations.base`,
+  otherwise emits `code: "too_weak"` with a `wander` recover hint.
+- The curriculum has a new final milestone `village.base-site` that
+  fires `village.choose-base` until a base is established.
+
 ### Compatibility hardening (Phase 7)
 
 Several modules now guard against the live regressions PRD §7 Phase 7
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 88326cc..ed4b39f 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
     "tui": "tsx tui/tui.tsx",
     "propose:apply": "node scripts/propose-apply.js",
     "stop": "bash scripts/stop.sh",
-    "test": "node --test runtime/skills/contract.test.js runtime/skills/groups.test.js runtime/skills/compat.test.js runtime/curriculum.test.js runtime/social/social.test.js runtime/stuck-incident.test.js runtime/compat.test.js scripts/edit-scope.test.js"
+    "test": "node --test runtime/skills/contract.test.js runtime/skills/groups.test.js runtime/skills/compat.test.js runtime/curriculum.test.js runtime/social/social.test.js runtime/stuck-incident.test.js runtime/compat.test.js runtime/reflex.test.js runtime/base-site.test.js runtime/locations.test.js scripts/edit-scope.test.js"
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "dotenv": "^16.4.5",
diff --git a/runtime/base-site.js b/runtime/base-site.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..39ad3a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runtime/base-site.js
@@ -0,0 +1,158 @@
+// Base-site scoring. Given a snapshot of nearby blocks + entities, score
+// the bot's *current* position as a candidate base site. Higher is
+// better. The scheduler can call this when curriculum reaches the
+// "find a base" milestone — we deliberately don't scan the whole world
+// from a tick; the bot scores wherever it currently stands.
+//
+// Score axes (all weighted equally so easy to tune):
+//   * has wood within 16 blocks → +3 (we don't want to commute for trees)
+//   * has stone within 12 blocks → +2
+//   * has water within 24 blocks → +2
+//   * surface is "flat-ish" (sample 5 y-values at radius 4, max-min ≤ 2) → +2
+//   * no nearby player entities (>32 blocks to closest player) → +2
+//   * no man-made blocks within 16 (claim-avoidance hit) → +3 (else -10)
+//
+// Returns { score, reasons: string[], position }.
+
+import { isManMadeBlockName } from "./claim-avoidance.js";
+
+const WOOD_RADIUS = 16;
+const STONE_RADIUS = 12;
+const WATER_RADIUS = 24;
+const FLATNESS_RADIUS = 4;
+const FLATNESS_TOLERANCE = 2;
+const PLAYER_AVOID = 32;
+const CLAIM_RADIUS = 16;
+
+function isLogName(name) {
+	return name && (name.endsWith("_log") || name.endsWith("_stem"));
+}
+
+function isStoneName(name) {
+	return name === "stone" || name === "cobblestone" || name === "deepslate" || name === "andesite" || name === "diorite" || name === "granite";
+}
+
+function isWaterName(name) {
+	return name === "water" || name === "kelp" || name === "seagrass" || name === "tall_seagrass";
+}
+
+// scoreSite — takes a fact bundle so it can be unit-tested without a bot.
+// The bundle:
+//   * blocks: Array<{ name, position: {x,y,z}, distance }>
+//   * surfaceYs: Array<number> sampled around the bot's feet
+//   * players: Array<{ distance }>  (excluding the bot itself)
+//   * position: { x, y, z } — the candidate location
+//   * isOwned: optional fn called for each man-made block; owned blocks
+//     don't count toward the claim-avoidance penalty.
+export function scoreSite({ blocks, surfaceYs, players, position, isOwned }) {
+	const reasons = [];
+	let score = 0;
+
+	const hasWood = blocks.some((b) => isLogName(b.name) && (b.distance ?? Infinity) <= WOOD_RADIUS);
+	if (hasWood) { score += 3; reasons.push("+3 wood nearby"); }
+	else reasons.push("0 no wood within " + WOOD_RADIUS);
+
+	const hasStone = blocks.some((b) => isStoneName(b.name) && (b.distance ?? Infinity) <= STONE_RADIUS);
+	if (hasStone) { score += 2; reasons.push("+2 stone nearby"); }
+	else reasons.push("0 no stone within " + STONE_RADIUS);
+
+	const hasWater = blocks.some((b) => isWaterName(b.name) && (b.distance ?? Infinity) <= WATER_RADIUS);
+	if (hasWater) { score += 2; reasons.push("+2 water nearby"); }
+	else reasons.push("0 no water within " + WATER_RADIUS);
+
+	if (Array.isArray(surfaceYs) && surfaceYs.length >= 5) {
+		const min = Math.min(...surfaceYs);
+		const max = Math.max(...surfaceYs);
+		if (max - min <= FLATNESS_TOLERANCE) {
+			score += 2; reasons.push("+2 surface is flat");
+		} else {
+			reasons.push(`0 surface bumpy (Δy=${max - min})`);
+		}
+	}
+
+	const closestPlayer = (players ?? []).reduce(
+		(min, p) => (p.distance < min ? p.distance : min),
+		Infinity,
+	);
+	if (closestPlayer >= PLAYER_AVOID) {
+		score += 2; reasons.push("+2 no players within " + PLAYER_AVOID);
+	} else {
+		reasons.push(`-0 player at ${Math.round(closestPlayer)}m (would shrink)`);
+	}
+
+	const claimBlocks = blocks.filter(
+		(b) => isManMadeBlockName(b.name) && (b.distance ?? Infinity) <= CLAIM_RADIUS,
+	);
+	const claimNonOwned = claimBlocks.filter(
+		(b) => !(typeof isOwned === "function" && b.position && isOwned(b.position)),
+	);
+	if (claimNonOwned.length === 0) {
+		score += 3; reasons.push("+3 no foreign builds nearby");
+	} else {
+		score -= 10; reasons.push(`-10 foreign builds nearby (${claimNonOwned.length})`);
+	}
+
+	return { score, reasons, position };
+}
+
+// Score the bot's current position. Walks bot.findBlocks for cheap sets.
+// Returns the same shape as scoreSite + the raw counts used.
+export function scoreCurrentPosition(bot, { isOwned } = {}) {
+	if (!bot?.entity?.position) return { score: -100, reasons: ["no bot position"], position: null };
+	const pos = bot.entity.position;
+	const here = { x: Math.round(pos.x), y: Math.round(pos.y), z: Math.round(pos.z) };
+
+	// Sample blocks via findBlocks where available; degrade gracefully
+	// when the registry is missing entries on older versions.
+	function findOnce(predicate, maxDistance, count = 6) {
+		try {
+			const ids = [];
+			const reg = bot.registry?.blocksByName ?? {};
+			for (const name of Object.keys(reg)) if (predicate(name)) ids.push(reg[name].id);
+			if (ids.length === 0) return [];
+			const positions = bot.findBlocks({ matching: ids, maxDistance, count });
+			return positions.map((p) => ({
+				name: bot.blockAt(p)?.name ?? "?",
+				position: { x: p.x, y: p.y, z: p.z },
+				distance: Math.hypot(p.x - here.x, p.z - here.z),
+			}));
+		} catch {
+			return [];
+		}
+	}
+
+	const woods = findOnce(isLogName, WOOD_RADIUS);
+	const stones = findOnce(isStoneName, STONE_RADIUS);
+	const waters = findOnce(isWaterName, WATER_RADIUS);
+	const claims = findOnce(
+		(n) => isManMadeBlockName(n),
+		CLAIM_RADIUS,
+		12,
+	);
+
+	// Sample surface heights at 5 points around the bot for flatness.
+	const surfaceYs = [];
+	const offsets = [
+		[0, 0], [FLATNESS_RADIUS, 0], [-FLATNESS_RADIUS, 0],
+		[0, FLATNESS_RADIUS], [0, -FLATNESS_RADIUS],
+	];
+	for (const [dx, dz] of offsets) {
+		const block = bot.blockAt
+			? bot.blockAt({ x: here.x + dx, y: here.y, z: here.z + dz })
+			: null;
+		if (block?.position) surfaceYs.push(block.position.y);
+		else surfaceYs.push(here.y);
+	}
+
+	const players = Object.values(bot.entities ?? {})
+		.filter((e) => e.type === "player" && e.username && e.username !== bot.username && e.position)
+		.map((e) => ({ distance: Math.hypot(e.position.x - here.x, e.position.z - here.z) }));
+
+	return scoreSite({
+		blocks: [...woods, ...stones, ...waters, ...claims],
+		surfaceYs,
+		players,
+		position: here,
+		isOwned,
+	});
+}
diff --git a/runtime/base-site.test.js b/runtime/base-site.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2241a12
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runtime/base-site.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+import { test } from "node:test";
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+
+import { scoreSite } from "./base-site.js";
+
+function block(name, x, z, y = 64, distance = null) {
+	return {
+		name,
+		position: { x, y, z },
+		distance: distance ?? Math.hypot(x, z),
+	};
+}
+
+test("scoreSite: empty surroundings → near-floor score", () => {
+	const out = scoreSite({
+		blocks: [],
+		surfaceYs: [64, 64, 64, 64, 64],
+		players: [],
+		position: { x: 0, y: 64, z: 0 },
+	});
+	// no wood -0, no stone -0, no water -0, flat +2, no players +2,
+	// no foreign builds +3 → 7
+	assert.equal(out.score, 7);
+});
+
+test("scoreSite: wood + stone + water + flat + no players + no claims → high", () => {
+	const out = scoreSite({
+		blocks: [
+			block("oak_log", 5, 5),
+			block("stone", 4, 0),
+			block("water", 10, 0),
+		],
+		surfaceYs: [64, 64, 64, 64, 64],
+		players: [],
+		position: { x: 0, y: 64, z: 0 },
+	});
+	// wood +3, stone +2, water +2, flat +2, no players +2, no claims +3 → 14
+	assert.equal(out.score, 14);
+});
+
+test("scoreSite: foreign build subtracts heavily", () => {
+	const out = scoreSite({
+		blocks: [
+			block("oak_log", 5, 5),
+			block("oak_planks", 6, 0), // man-made, not owned
+		],
+		surfaceYs: [64, 64, 64, 64, 64],
+		players: [],
+		position: { x: 0, y: 64, z: 0 },
+		isOwned: () => false,
+	});
+	// wood +3, no stone 0, no water 0, flat +2, no players +2, foreign -10 → -3
+	assert.equal(out.score, -3);
+});
+
+test("scoreSite: bot-owned man-made blocks don't penalise", () => {
+	const out = scoreSite({
+		blocks: [
+			block("oak_log", 5, 5),
+			block("crafting_table", 2, 0),
+		],
+		surfaceYs: [64, 64, 64, 64, 64],
+		players: [],
+		position: { x: 0, y: 64, z: 0 },
+		isOwned: () => true,
+	});
+	// wood +3, flat +2, no players +2, no foreign +3 → 10
+	assert.equal(out.score, 10);
+});
+
+test("scoreSite: bumpy surface loses the flatness +2", () => {
+	const out = scoreSite({
+		blocks: [],
+		surfaceYs: [60, 64, 64, 68, 65],
+		players: [],
+		position: { x: 0, y: 64, z: 0 },
+	});
+	// flat 0, no players +2, no foreign +3 → 5
+	assert.equal(out.score, 5);
+});
+
+test("scoreSite: nearby player loses the +2", () => {
+	const out = scoreSite({
+		blocks: [],
+		surfaceYs: [64, 64, 64, 64, 64],
+		players: [{ distance: 10 }],
+		position: { x: 0, y: 64, z: 0 },
+	});
+	// flat +2, players 0, no foreign +3 → 5
+	assert.equal(out.score, 5);
+});
diff --git a/runtime/bot.js b/runtime/bot.js
index d6c0802..cc2748d 100644
--- a/runtime/bot.js
+++ b/runtime/bot.js
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ import { computeState, STATES } from "./state.js";
 import { createNoProgressDetector } from "./no-progress.js";
 import { maybeStartViewer } from "./viewer.js";
 import { nextMilestone as nextCurriculumMilestone } from "./curriculum.js";
+import { listLocations } from "./locations.js";
 import { classifyIntent, INTENTS } from "./social/intent.js";
 import { generateReply } from "./social/reply.js";
 import { createChatMemory } from "./social/memory.js";
@@ -358,6 +359,79 @@ let lastChatReplyAt = 0;
 const CHAT_REPLY_COOLDOWN_MS = 30_000;
 const chatMemory = createChatMemory();
 
+// Rate-limit Pi escalations from chat. The chat path is the cheapest
+// way to burn an LLM call accidentally — every addressed banter line
+// would otherwise spawn `pi -p`. We cap at MAX_PI_CHAT_PER_HOUR with a
+// hard minimum gap of MIN_PI_CHAT_GAP_MS between calls.
+const MAX_PI_CHAT_PER_HOUR = 6;
+const MIN_PI_CHAT_GAP_MS = 90_000;
+const recentPiChatTs = [];
+let lastPiChatAt = 0;
+
+function piChatAllowed(now = Date.now()) {
+	while (recentPiChatTs.length && now - recentPiChatTs[0] > 3600_000) recentPiChatTs.shift();
+	if (recentPiChatTs.length >= MAX_PI_CHAT_PER_HOUR) return false;
+	if (now - lastPiChatAt < MIN_PI_CHAT_GAP_MS) return false;
+	return true;
+}
+
+function escalateChatToPi({ speaker, text, intent }) {
+	if (!piChatAllowed()) {
+		info("chat", `pi escalation suppressed (rate limit) for ${speaker}`);
+		return;
+	}
+	lastPiChatAt = Date.now();
+	recentPiChatTs.push(lastPiChatAt);
+
+	// Compose a slim context — recent chat from this speaker, the bot's
+	// own state, and an explicit dialog-only reminder so Pi doesn't try
+	// to "act" on a player request via its output. We never write Pi's
+	// output to the world; the only side-effect is a single chat line.
+	const speakerTail = chatMemory.tail(speaker, 5).map((e) => `${speaker}: ${e.text}`).join("\n");
+	const stateLine = JSON.stringify({
+		runtimeState: lastSnapshot?.runtimeState,
+		activeSkill: lastSnapshot?.activeSkill,
+		currentMilestone: lastSnapshot?.currentMilestone,
+		noProgressReason: lastSnapshot?.noProgressReason,
+		hp: lastSnapshot?.health,
+		food: lastSnapshot?.food,
+	});
+	const prompt = [
+		`You are the social cortex for an autonomous Minecraft bot named "${bot?.username}".`,
+		`The bot's primary loop ignores chat commands — MC chat is dialog-only.`,
+		`Your ONLY output is one short chat line (<= 140 chars) the bot will say to ${speaker}.`,
+		`No code, no JSON, no quoting. Just the message. Use the language ${speaker} used.`,
+		``,
+		`Bot's current state:`,
+		stateLine,
+		``,
+		`Recent chat from ${speaker}:`,
+		speakerTail || `(no prior lines)`,
+		``,
+		`Latest line (intent=${intent}): ${text}`,
+	].join("\n");
+
+	let buf = "";
+	askPi({
+		prompt,
+		onChunk: (chunk) => {
+			if (chunk?.stream === "stdout") buf += chunk.text;
+		},
+		onDone: (result) => {
+			info("chat", `pi banter reply done code=${result.code} dur=${result.durationMs}ms len=${buf.length}`);
+			if (result.code !== 0) return;
+			const line = buf.trim().split("\n").find((l) => l.trim()) ?? "";
+			if (!line) return;
+			// Be defensive — drop the bot's own name prefix Pi sometimes
+			// adds, and cap to 200 chars so we never burn the rate-limit
+			// with a wall of text.
+			const cleaned = line.replace(/^[`"']+|[`"']+$/g, "").slice(0, 200);
+			lastChatReplyAt = Date.now();
+			botChat(`${speaker}: ${cleaned}`);
+		},
+	});
+}
+
 function isOperator(username) {
 	if (!username) return false;
 	return config.operators.includes(username.toLowerCase());
@@ -417,9 +491,12 @@ function handleChat(username, text) {
 		botChat(result.send);
 		return;
 	}
-	// Templates didn't fit and the bot was addressed (ADDRESSED_BANTER) —
-	// escalation to Pi is allowed but not done from here; future work will
-	// route through a rate-limited askPi with prompt-cached context.
+	if (result?.escalate) {
+		// Templates didn't fit AND the bot was addressed → ask Pi for a
+		// one-liner. Hard rate-limited so addressed-banter lines can't
+		// drain the LLM budget.
+		escalateChatToPi({ speaker: username, text: trimmed, intent });
+	}
 }
 
 // ---- connect ---------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -604,6 +681,13 @@ function tick() {
 		//   - curriculum.js (deterministic early-game progression)
 		// The TUI prefers the curriculum's structured milestone (it has a
 		// suggested skill); falls back to the planner line for late-game.
+		// locations.json drives the village.* milestones — read each tick
+		// (cheap: a small JSON file, no parse on cold cache).
+		try {
+			lastSnapshot.locations = listLocations();
+		} catch {
+			lastSnapshot.locations = {};
+		}
 		const curriculum = nextCurriculumMilestone(lastSnapshot);
 		lastSnapshot.curriculum = curriculum;
 		lastSnapshot.currentMilestone = curriculum?.milestone?.title ?? cachedMilestone;
diff --git a/runtime/curriculum.js b/runtime/curriculum.js
index 1428bfb..2c2d929 100644
--- a/runtime/curriculum.js
+++ b/runtime/curriculum.js
@@ -130,6 +130,16 @@ const MILESTONES = [
 		isDone: (inv) => has(inv, "torch", 4),
 		suggest: () => ({ skillId: "craft.torch" }),
 	},
+	{
+		id: "village.base-site",
+		title: "Pick a base site",
+		// We treat this as done when a "base" location exists in
+		// locations.json. The curriculum can't read that file from here
+		// (would couple it to disk), so we expose a snapshot hint:
+		// `snapshot.locations?.base` is filled by bot.js.
+		isDone: (_inv, snap) => !!snap?.locations?.base,
+		suggest: () => ({ skillId: "village.choose-base" }),
+	},
 ];
 
 export function isInventoryFull(snapshot) {
diff --git a/runtime/curriculum.test.js b/runtime/curriculum.test.js
index ca28915..478fd97 100644
--- a/runtime/curriculum.test.js
+++ b/runtime/curriculum.test.js
@@ -122,7 +122,10 @@ test("all done → null", () => {
 		stone_axe: 1, stone_pickaxe: 1, stone_sword: 1, furnace: 1,
 		bread: 4, chest: 1, torch: 8,
 	};
-	assert.equal(nextMilestone(snap(inv, { food: 20 })), null);
+	assert.equal(
+		nextMilestone(snap(inv, { food: 20, locations: { base: { x: 0, y: 64, z: 0 } } })),
+		null,
+	);
 });
 
 test("isInventoryFull threshold = 32 distinct stacks", () => {
@@ -146,7 +149,7 @@ test("inventoryFull flag is returned alongside milestone, not as override", () =
 test("listMilestones exposes ordered ids for diary/TUI", () => {
 	const ms = listMilestones();
 	assert.equal(ms[0].id, "wood.16");
-	assert.equal(ms[ms.length - 1].id, "shelter.torch");
+	assert.equal(ms[ms.length - 1].id, "village.base-site");
 	for (const m of ms) {
 		assert.equal(typeof m.id, "string");
 		assert.equal(typeof m.title, "string");
diff --git a/runtime/locations.js b/runtime/locations.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..61eb13a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runtime/locations.js
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+// Named locations persisted under state/<host>/locations.json. The bot
+// records places it cares about: "base", "wood-spot", "stone-spot",
+// "wheat-farm", "chest-1". The format is a flat dict keyed by name; the
+// value carries the integer block coordinates, an optional radius (for
+// "the wood-spot is somewhere in this 16-block square"), the dimension
+// and a free-form note for diary readability.
+//
+// All writes are sync — the file is small (a few dozen entries at most).
+// We write atomically (tmp + rename) so a crash mid-write doesn't leave
+// a half-written JSON.
+
+import fs from "node:fs";
+import path from "node:path";
+import { stateDir } from "./config.js";
+
+const LOCATIONS_PATH = path.join(stateDir, "locations.json");
+
+function ensureDir() {
+	try { fs.mkdirSync(stateDir, { recursive: true }); } catch {}
+}
+
+function loadAll() {
+	try {
+		const raw = fs.readFileSync(LOCATIONS_PATH, "utf8").trim();
+		if (!raw) return {};
+		const parsed = JSON.parse(raw);
+		return parsed && typeof parsed === "object" ? parsed : {};
+	} catch (e) {
+		if (e.code === "ENOENT") return {};
+		return {};
+	}
+}
+
+function saveAll(map) {
+	ensureDir();
+	const tmp = `${LOCATIONS_PATH}.tmp`;
+	fs.writeFileSync(tmp, JSON.stringify(map, null, 2));
+	fs.renameSync(tmp, LOCATIONS_PATH);
+}
+
+export function listLocations() {
+	return loadAll();
+}
+
+export function getLocation(name) {
+	const all = loadAll();
+	return all[name] ?? null;
+}
+
+export function setLocation(name, {
+	x, y, z,
+	dimension = "overworld",
+	radius = 0,
+	note = "",
+}) {
+	if (!name) throw new Error("setLocation: name required");
+	if (typeof x !== "number" || typeof y !== "number" || typeof z !== "number") {
+		throw new Error("setLocation: x/y/z must be numbers");
+	}
+	const all = loadAll();
+	all[name] = {
+		x: Math.round(x),
+		y: Math.round(y),
+		z: Math.round(z),
+		dimension,
+		radius,
+		note,
+		ts: new Date().toISOString(),
+	};
+	saveAll(all);
+	return all[name];
+}
+
+export function removeLocation(name) {
+	const all = loadAll();
+	if (!(name in all)) return false;
+	delete all[name];
+	saveAll(all);
+	return true;
+}
+
+// Find the named location closest to (x,y,z) — useful for "go back to
+// base" when there are multiple shelters.
+export function nearestLocation({ x, z }) {
+	const all = loadAll();
+	let best = null;
+	for (const [name, loc] of Object.entries(all)) {
+		if (typeof loc?.x !== "number") continue;
+		const d = Math.hypot(loc.x - x, loc.z - z);
+		if (!best || d < best.d) best = { name, loc, d };
+	}
+	return best;
+}
diff --git a/runtime/locations.test.js b/runtime/locations.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0052bd2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runtime/locations.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+// locations.js writes to the real state/<host>/ on disk via the
+// project's config.stateDir, so these tests run end-to-end against the
+// active dev state dir. We pick obviously-fake location names with a
+// timestamp suffix and clean up after ourselves so we never leave junk
+// in the real state.
+
+import { test } from "node:test";
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+
+import { setLocation, getLocation, listLocations, removeLocation, nearestLocation } from "./locations.js";
+
+function tag() {
+	return `__test_${Date.now()}_${Math.floor(Math.random() * 1e6)}`;
+}
+
+test("setLocation + getLocation round-trip", () => {
+	const name = tag();
+	try {
+		const stored = setLocation(name, { x: 100, y: 64, z: -200, note: "smoke" });
+		assert.equal(stored.x, 100);
+		assert.equal(stored.note, "smoke");
+		const got = getLocation(name);
+		assert.equal(got.x, 100);
+		assert.equal(got.z, -200);
+	} finally {
+		removeLocation(name);
+	}
+});
+
+test("setLocation rounds floats", () => {
+	const name = tag();
+	try {
+		const stored = setLocation(name, { x: 100.4, y: 64.7, z: -200.5 });
+		assert.equal(stored.x, 100);
+		assert.equal(stored.y, 65);
+		assert.equal(stored.z, -200);
+	} finally {
+		removeLocation(name);
+	}
+});
+
+test("setLocation rejects missing coords", () => {
+	assert.throws(() => setLocation("bad", { x: 1, y: 2 }), /x\/y\/z/);
+	assert.throws(() => setLocation(null, { x: 0, y: 0, z: 0 }), /name required/);
+});
+
+test("removeLocation returns false when absent", () => {
+	assert.equal(removeLocation("__definitely_not_set"), false);
+});
+
+test("listLocations includes everything we put in", () => {
+	const a = tag();
+	const b = tag();
+	try {
+		setLocation(a, { x: 1, y: 64, z: 1 });
+		setLocation(b, { x: 2, y: 64, z: 2 });
+		const all = listLocations();
+		assert.ok(all[a]);
+		assert.ok(all[b]);
+	} finally {
+		removeLocation(a);
+		removeLocation(b);
+	}
+});
+
+test("nearestLocation picks the closer of two", () => {
+	const a = tag();
+	const b = tag();
+	try {
+		setLocation(a, { x: 0, y: 64, z: 0 });
+		setLocation(b, { x: 100, y: 64, z: 100 });
+		const near = nearestLocation({ x: 5, z: 5 });
+		assert.equal(near.name, a);
+	} finally {
+		removeLocation(a);
+		removeLocation(b);
+	}
+});
diff --git a/runtime/reflex.js b/runtime/reflex.js
index 36d31e6..2984c8c 100644
--- a/runtime/reflex.js
+++ b/runtime/reflex.js
@@ -1,10 +1,20 @@
-// Reflex layer: priority-ordered list of pure-script behaviors. Each reflex
-// inspects the latest snapshot and either returns a no-op, dispatches an
-// async action via ctx.dispatch, or completes synchronously.
+// Reflex layer: priority-ordered behaviours that decide what the bot does
+// each tick. The LLM is NOT called here. If every reflex declines, the tick
+// yields and we try again next interval. The bot.js layer tracks consecutive
+// noops and escalates to Pi after a threshold (see ESCALATE_AFTER_NOOPS).
 //
-// LLM is NOT called here. If every reflex declines, the tick yields and we
-// try again next interval. The bot.js layer tracks consecutive noops and
-// escalates to Pi after a threshold (see ESCALATE_AFTER_NOOPS).
+// Chain (top to bottom — first to dispatch wins):
+//
+//   defend     event-driven, hostile in melee or low HP + close
+//   eat        event-driven, food bar low
+//   sleep      event-driven, night without hostile in reach
+//   curriculum the new scheduler — reads snapshot.curriculum and dispatches
+//              via runtime/skills/runSkill. Replaces the old ad-hoc
+//              tech-tree + autonomous chop/wander branches.
+//   idle       heartbeat logger
+//
+// Operator chat does NOT create tasks (Phase 0 pivot). TUI pause/stop is
+// the only local override.
 
 import { info, warn } from "./log.js";
 import {
@@ -12,16 +22,9 @@ import {
 	fleeFrom,
 	eatBestFood,
 	sleepInBed,
-	chopNearestTree,
 	wander,
-	craftPlanks,
-	craftSticks,
-	placeCraftingTable,
-	craftWoodenAxe,
-	craftWoodenPickaxe,
-	craftWoodenSword,
-	inv,
 } from "./actions.js";
+import { runSkill, getSkill } from "./skills/index.js";
 
 const REFLEX_LOG = "reflex";
 
@@ -32,10 +35,6 @@ const REFLEX_LOG = "reflex";
 // Reflexes must NEVER throw — they log and return noop on failure.
 
 // ---- defend ----------------------------------------------------------------
-//
-// Note: MC chat is dialog-only as of Phase 0 of the survival-bot PRD. There is
-// no operator-goal reflex anymore — operator/player chat cannot create a
-// movement/build/mining task. TUI is the only local control plane.
 
 function defendReflex(ctx) {
 	const s = ctx.snapshot;
@@ -132,131 +131,84 @@ function sleepReflex(ctx) {
 	return { action: "dispatched", kind: "sleep", label: "night" };
 }
 
-// ---- autonomous "live your best life" --------------------------------------
-
-// Triggered when no reactive reflex (operator/defend/eat/sleep) wants to act.
-// Picks ONE small proactive action and runs it. Cooldown so we don't fire on
-// every 3s tick — actions take 15-45s themselves and we want some breathing
-// room between them.
-const AUTONOMOUS_COOLDOWN_MS = 10_000;
-
-function autonomousReflex(ctx) {
-	const s = ctx.snapshot;
-	if (!s.connected) return { action: "noop" };
-
-	// Only suppress autonomous work at night when a hostile is in actual reach
-	// (within 16m). Distant mobs the perception layer happens to enumerate
-	// don't count — at this spawn there can be 80+ mobs visible but irrelevant
-	// to local action.
-	const nightClose = !s.isDay && s.closestHostile && s.closestHostile.distance <= 16;
-	if (nightClose) return { action: "noop" };
-
-	const since = Date.now() - (ctx.lastAutonomousAt ?? 0);
-	if (since < AUTONOMOUS_COOLDOWN_MS) return { action: "noop" };
-	ctx.lastAutonomousAt = Date.now();
-
-	// What to do: gather wood until we have a small stockpile, then wander a
-	// bit to find new chunks. If a recent chop attempt reported "no reachable
-	// log", switch to wander for the next 60s — chopping the same not-found
-	// position over and over is what the user observed live.
-	const inv = s.inventory ?? {};
-	const logCount = Object.entries(inv)
-		.filter(([name]) => name.endsWith("_log"))
-		.reduce((sum, [, n]) => sum + n, 0);
-
-	const noTreesRecently = ctx.noTreesUntil && Date.now() < ctx.noTreesUntil;
-	const wantChop = logCount < 16 && !noTreesRecently;
-	if (wantChop) {
-		ctx.dispatch(() => chopNearestTree(ctx.bot), "chop tree", {
-			onComplete: (res) => {
-				if (res.ok) {
-					info(REFLEX_LOG, `chopped ${res.detail?.logType ?? "log"}`);
-					ctx.noTreesUntil = 0; // success ⇒ trees exist around us
-				} else if (typeof res.detail === "string" && res.detail.includes("no reachable")) {
-					// No log within 32 blocks of the current position. Don't try
-					// again for 60s — wander first to find a new biome / chunk.
-					ctx.noTreesUntil = Date.now() + 60_000;
-				}
-			},
-		});
-		return { action: "dispatched", kind: "autonomous-chop", label: "chop tree" };
-	}
-	ctx.dispatch(() => wander(ctx.bot, 16), "wander", {});
-	return { action: "dispatched", kind: "autonomous-wander", label: "wander" };
-}
-
-// ---- tech-tree progression -------------------------------------------------
+// ---- curriculum ------------------------------------------------------------
 //
-// Scripted progression toward the long-term goal (small farm + village). Runs
-// between the autonomous wood-gathering reflex and idle. Order:
-//   1. have ≥4 logs but 0 planks  → craft planks
-//   2. have ≥2 planks but 0 sticks → craft sticks
-//   3. have planks+sticks but no axe → craft wooden_axe (places a table)
-//   4. have axe but no pickaxe → craft wooden_pickaxe
-//   5. have pickaxe but no sword → craft wooden_sword
-//   6. tools done — fall through to autonomous (chop more, then mine stone)
+// The new scheduler. Reads snapshot.curriculum (produced by runtime/
+// curriculum.js in bot.js's tick) and dispatches the suggested skill
+// via runSkill. Falls back to wander when:
+//   * no curriculum result (curriculum says "everything done — late game"),
+//   * suggested skill is unknown to the registry,
+//   * recent recover() hint asked us to wander (e.g. no_target from
+//     gather.logs / gather.stone — same heuristic the old autonomous
+//     reflex used).
 //
-// Each step is cheap and idempotent: if it can't act it returns noop.
+// Stone-tier locks: gather.stone needs a pickaxe; the skill's own
+// preconditions will reject otherwise. When that happens we record a
+// short backoff so we don't dispatch-and-fail every tick.
 
-const TECH_TREE_COOLDOWN_MS = 5_000;
+const CURRICULUM_COOLDOWN_MS = 4_000;
+const SKILL_BACKOFF_MS = 60_000;
 
-function techTreeReflex(ctx) {
+function curriculumReflex(ctx) {
 	const s = ctx.snapshot;
 	if (!s.connected) return { action: "noop" };
 	if (!ctx.bot) return { action: "noop" };
 
-	const since = Date.now() - (ctx.lastTechTreeAt ?? 0);
-	if (since < TECH_TREE_COOLDOWN_MS) return { action: "noop" };
+	const since = Date.now() - (ctx.lastCurriculumAt ?? 0);
+	if (since < CURRICULUM_COOLDOWN_MS) return { action: "noop" };
 
-	const logs = inv.getAnyLogCount(ctx.bot);
-	const planks = inv.getAnyPlanksCount(ctx.bot);
-	const sticks = inv.getItemCount(ctx.bot, "stick");
-	const hasAxe = ["wooden_axe", "stone_axe", "iron_axe", "diamond_axe", "netherite_axe"].some(
-		(n) => inv.getItemCount(ctx.bot, n) > 0,
-	);
-	const hasPickaxe = [
-		"wooden_pickaxe",
-		"stone_pickaxe",
-		"iron_pickaxe",
-		"diamond_pickaxe",
-		"netherite_pickaxe",
-	].some((n) => inv.getItemCount(ctx.bot, n) > 0);
-	const hasSword = ["wooden_sword", "stone_sword", "iron_sword", "diamond_sword", "netherite_sword"].some(
-		(n) => inv.getItemCount(ctx.bot, n) > 0,
-	);
+	const plan = s.curriculum?.plan;
+	const wanderHintUntil = ctx.skillBackoff?.["__wander_hint__"] ?? 0;
+	const wantWander = wanderHintUntil && Date.now() < wanderHintUntil;
 
-	// Step 1: planks
-	if (logs >= 1 && planks < 4) {
-		ctx.lastTechTreeAt = Date.now();
-		ctx.dispatch(() => craftPlanks(ctx.bot, 4), "craft planks");
-		return { action: "dispatched", kind: "tech-planks", label: `planks (have ${planks}/4)` };
-	}
-	// Step 2: sticks
-	if (planks >= 2 && sticks < 4) {
-		ctx.lastTechTreeAt = Date.now();
-		ctx.dispatch(() => craftSticks(ctx.bot, 4), "craft sticks");
-		return { action: "dispatched", kind: "tech-sticks", label: `sticks (have ${sticks}/4)` };
-	}
-	// Step 3: axe
-	if (planks >= 3 && sticks >= 2 && !hasAxe) {
-		ctx.lastTechTreeAt = Date.now();
-		ctx.dispatch(() => craftWoodenAxe(ctx.bot), "craft wooden_axe");
-		return { action: "dispatched", kind: "tech-axe", label: "wooden_axe" };
-	}
-	// Step 4: pickaxe
-	if (planks >= 3 && sticks >= 2 && hasAxe && !hasPickaxe) {
-		ctx.lastTechTreeAt = Date.now();
-		ctx.dispatch(() => craftWoodenPickaxe(ctx.bot), "craft wooden_pickaxe");
-		return { action: "dispatched", kind: "tech-pickaxe", label: "wooden_pickaxe" };
-	}
-	// Step 5: sword
-	if (planks >= 2 && sticks >= 1 && hasAxe && hasPickaxe && !hasSword) {
-		ctx.lastTechTreeAt = Date.now();
-		ctx.dispatch(() => craftWoodenSword(ctx.bot), "craft wooden_sword");
-		return { action: "dispatched", kind: "tech-sword", label: "wooden_sword" };
+	// No skill plan from curriculum OR a recent skill asked us to wander —
+	// dispatch a wander fallback so we keep moving.
+	if (!plan?.skillId || wantWander) {
+		ctx.lastCurriculumAt = Date.now();
+		ctx.dispatch(() => wander(ctx.bot, 16), "wander", {});
+		return { action: "dispatched", kind: "curriculum-wander", label: "wander" };
 	}
 
-	return { action: "noop" };
+	const skillId = plan.skillId;
+	const skill = getSkill(skillId);
+	if (!skill) {
+		// Curriculum suggested a skill that isn't registered yet — fall back
+		// to wander rather than spinning. This is the right behaviour for
+		// future milestones we haven't wired (e.g. shelter blueprints).
+		ctx.lastCurriculumAt = Date.now();
+		ctx.dispatch(() => wander(ctx.bot, 16), "wander", {});
+		return { action: "dispatched", kind: "curriculum-wander", label: `wander (no skill ${skillId})` };
+	}
+
+	// Per-skill backoff: if this exact skill failed with a non-recoverable
+	// reason recently (missing_tool, missing_material, no_target) we give it
+	// breathing room rather than retrying every cooldown.
+	const backoffUntil = ctx.skillBackoff?.[skillId] ?? 0;
+	if (Date.now() < backoffUntil) return { action: "noop" };
+
+	ctx.lastCurriculumAt = Date.now();
+	ctx.dispatch(() => runSkill(skillId, ctx), skillId, {
+		onComplete: (res) => {
+			ctx.skillBackoff = ctx.skillBackoff ?? {};
+			if (res?.recovery?.hint === "wander") {
+				// Same fix the old autonomous reflex applied for "no reachable
+				// log" — switch to exploration for a minute.
+				ctx.skillBackoff["__wander_hint__"] = Date.now() + SKILL_BACKOFF_MS;
+			}
+			if (!res?.ok) {
+				// missing_tool / missing_material / no_target shouldn't be
+				// retried on the very next tick. Hold for SKILL_BACKOFF_MS.
+				const cooldownCodes = new Set(["missing_tool", "missing_material", "no_target", "no_food_source", "unsupported_version"]);
+				if (cooldownCodes.has(res?.code)) {
+					ctx.skillBackoff[skillId] = Date.now() + SKILL_BACKOFF_MS;
+				}
+			} else {
+				// Success clears the wander hint immediately.
+				ctx.skillBackoff["__wander_hint__"] = 0;
+			}
+		},
+	});
+	return { action: "dispatched", kind: "curriculum-skill", label: skillId };
 }
 
 // ---- idle ------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -277,8 +229,7 @@ const REFLEXES = [
 	{ name: "defend", fn: defendReflex },
 	{ name: "eat", fn: eatReflex },
 	{ name: "sleep", fn: sleepReflex },
-	{ name: "tech-tree", fn: techTreeReflex },
-	{ name: "autonomous", fn: autonomousReflex },
+	{ name: "curriculum", fn: curriculumReflex },
 	{ name: "idle", fn: idleReflex },
 ];
 
@@ -301,3 +252,6 @@ export function runTick(ctx) {
 	}
 	return null;
 }
+
+// Exposed for tests.
+export const _internal = { curriculumReflex, defendReflex, eatReflex, sleepReflex };
diff --git a/runtime/reflex.test.js b/runtime/reflex.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..02ca1c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runtime/reflex.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,227 @@
+// Tests for the new curriculum-driven scheduler in runtime/reflex.js.
+// We exercise runTick with synthetic snapshots + a recording ctx so we can
+// assert which reflex fires and what gets dispatched.
+
+import { test } from "node:test";
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+
+import { runTick } from "./reflex.js";
+
+function makeCtx({
+	snapshot,
+	busy = false,
+	bot = { entities: {}, entity: { position: { x: 0, y: 64, z: 0 } } },
+	skillBackoff,
+	lastEatAt = 0,
+	lastSleepAttemptAt = 0,
+	lastCurriculumAt = 0,
+} = {}) {
+	const dispatches = [];
+	const ctx = {
+		bot,
+		snapshot,
+		busy,
+		currentActionLabel: null,
+		lastEatAt,
+		lastSleepAttemptAt,
+		lastCurriculumAt,
+		skillBackoff,
+		dispatch(fn, label, opts = {}) {
+			dispatches.push({ label, opts });
+		},
+	};
+	return { ctx, dispatches };
+}
+
+test("busy ctx returns skipped without dispatching", () => {
+	const { ctx, dispatches } = makeCtx({
+		snapshot: { connected: true, curriculum: { plan: { skillId: "gather.logs" } } },
+		busy: true,
+		currentActionLabel: "chopping",
+	});
+	const out = runTick(ctx);
+	assert.equal(out.reflex, "busy");
+	assert.equal(out.action, "skipped");
+	assert.equal(dispatches.length, 0);
+});
+
+test("disconnected snapshot → no dispatch", () => {
+	const { ctx, dispatches } = makeCtx({ snapshot: { connected: false } });
+	const out = runTick(ctx);
+	assert.equal(out, null);
+	assert.equal(dispatches.length, 0);
+});
+
+test("defend wins over curriculum when hostile in melee", () => {
+	const { ctx, dispatches } = makeCtx({
+		snapshot: {
+			connected: true,
+			health: 20,
+			closestHostile: { name: "zombie", distance: 3 },
+			curriculum: { plan: { skillId: "gather.logs" } },
+		},
+	});
+	const out = runTick(ctx);
+	assert.equal(out.reflex, "defend");
+	assert.match(dispatches[0].label, /attack zombie/);
+});
+
+test("eat wins over curriculum when food low and bot has food", () => {
+	const { ctx, dispatches } = makeCtx({
+		snapshot: {
+			connected: true,
+			health: 20,
+			food: 10,
+			curriculum: { plan: { skillId: "gather.logs" } },
+		},
+	});
+	const out = runTick(ctx);
+	assert.equal(out.reflex, "eat");
+	assert.equal(dispatches[0].label, "eat");
+});
+
+test("curriculum dispatches suggested skill by id", () => {
+	const { ctx, dispatches } = makeCtx({
+		snapshot: {
+			connected: true,
+			health: 20,
+			food: 20,
+			isDay: true,
+			curriculum: { plan: { skillId: "gather.logs" } },
+		},
+	});
+	const out = runTick(ctx);
+	assert.equal(out.reflex, "curriculum");
+	assert.equal(dispatches[0].label, "gather.logs");
+	assert.ok(typeof dispatches[0].opts.onComplete === "function");
+});
+
+test("curriculum falls back to wander when no plan", () => {
+	const { ctx, dispatches } = makeCtx({
+		snapshot: {
+			connected: true,
+			health: 20,
+			food: 20,
+			isDay: true,
+			curriculum: null,
+		},
+	});
+	const out = runTick(ctx);
+	assert.equal(out.reflex, "curriculum");
+	assert.equal(dispatches[0].label, "wander");
+});
+
+test("curriculum falls back to wander when skill id is unknown", () => {
+	const { ctx, dispatches } = makeCtx({
+		snapshot: {
+			connected: true,
+			health: 20,
+			food: 20,
+			isDay: true,
+			curriculum: { plan: { skillId: "shelter.assemble" } }, // not registered yet
+		},
+	});
+	const out = runTick(ctx);
+	assert.equal(out.reflex, "curriculum");
+	assert.match(dispatches[0].label, /^wander/);
+});
+
+test("curriculum honours per-skill backoff", () => {
+	const future = Date.now() + 30_000;
+	const { ctx, dispatches } = makeCtx({
+		snapshot: {
+			connected: true,
+			health: 20,
+			food: 20,
+			isDay: true,
+			curriculum: { plan: { skillId: "gather.stone" } },
+		},
+		skillBackoff: { "gather.stone": future },
+	});
+	const out = runTick(ctx);
+	// Backoff blocks the curriculum reflex; idle still won't fire on this
+	// tick (idleCounter not at the 20-tick mark) so runTick yields.
+	assert.equal(out, null);
+	assert.equal(dispatches.length, 0);
+});
+
+test("wander-hint backoff swaps skill for wander on the next tick", () => {
+	const { ctx, dispatches } = makeCtx({
+		snapshot: {
+			connected: true,
+			health: 20,
+			food: 20,
+			isDay: true,
+			curriculum: { plan: { skillId: "gather.logs" } },
+		},
+		skillBackoff: { __wander_hint__: Date.now() + 30_000 },
+	});
+	const out = runTick(ctx);
+	assert.equal(out.reflex, "curriculum");
+	assert.equal(dispatches[0].label, "wander");
+});
+
+test("onComplete sets wander hint when skill recovery says so", () => {
+	const { ctx, dispatches } = makeCtx({
+		snapshot: {
+			connected: true,
+			health: 20,
+			food: 20,
+			isDay: true,
+			curriculum: { plan: { skillId: "gather.logs" } },
+		},
+	});
+	runTick(ctx);
+	const cb = dispatches[0].opts.onComplete;
+	cb({ ok: false, code: "no_target", recovery: { hint: "wander" } });
+	assert.ok((ctx.skillBackoff?.__wander_hint__ ?? 0) > Date.now());
+});
+
+test("onComplete clears wander hint on success", () => {
+	const { ctx, dispatches } = makeCtx({
+		snapshot: {
+			connected: true,
+			health: 20,
+			food: 20,
+			isDay: true,
+			curriculum: { plan: { skillId: "gather.logs" } },
+		},
+		skillBackoff: { __wander_hint__: Date.now() + 30_000 },
+	});
+	// With wander hint active, first tick will choose wander, not gather.logs.
+	runTick(ctx);
+	// Simulate the wander completing and clearing the hint manually since
+	// wander is dispatched via actions.js directly (no recover hint).
+	ctx.skillBackoff.__wander_hint__ = 0;
+
+	// Next tick — past the curriculum cooldown.
+	ctx.lastCurriculumAt = 0;
+	const { ctx: ctx2, dispatches: dispatches2 } = makeCtx({
+		snapshot: {
+			connected: true,
+			health: 20,
+			food: 20,
+			isDay: true,
+			curriculum: { plan: { skillId: "gather.logs" } },
+		},
+	});
+	runTick(ctx2);
+	dispatches2[0].opts.onComplete({ ok: true, code: "done" });
+	assert.equal(ctx2.skillBackoff.__wander_hint__, 0);
+});
+
+test("onComplete sets per-skill backoff on cooldown-class failures", () => {
+	const { ctx, dispatches } = makeCtx({
+		snapshot: {
+			connected: true,
+			health: 20,
+			food: 20,
+			isDay: true,
+			curriculum: { plan: { skillId: "gather.stone" } },
+		},
+	});
+	runTick(ctx);
+	const cb = dispatches[0].opts.onComplete;
+	cb({ ok: false, code: "missing_tool", detail: "no pickaxe" });
+	assert.ok((ctx.skillBackoff?.["gather.stone"] ?? 0) > Date.now());
+});
diff --git a/runtime/skills/choose-base.js b/runtime/skills/choose-base.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7c3d64c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runtime/skills/choose-base.js
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+// village.choose-base — score the bot's current position as a candidate
+// base site, and if it clears the minimum bar, persist it under
+// state/<host>/locations.json as "base". The skill is intentionally
+// shallow: a single tick at the bot's current footing, no global scan.
+// The curriculum can dispatch it repeatedly while the bot wanders, and
+// the threshold means most calls will return `code: "too_weak"` and
+// move on.
+
+import { scoreCurrentPosition } from "../base-site.js";
+import { setLocation, getLocation } from "../locations.js";
+
+const MIN_BASE_SCORE = 8; // out of ~14 max; tuned to "good enough"
+
+export const skill = Object.freeze({
+	id: "village.choose-base",
+	title: "Score the current spot as a base candidate",
+	timeoutMs: 5_000,
+	preconditions(ctx) {
+		if (!ctx?.bot) return { ok: false, code: "no_bot", detail: "bot missing" };
+		// If we already have a base, this skill is a no-op the curriculum
+		// shouldn't be asking for. Defer gracefully.
+		if (getLocation("base")) return { ok: false, code: "already_have_base", detail: "base location already set" };
+		return { ok: true };
+	},
+	async execute(ctx) {
+		const result = scoreCurrentPosition(ctx.bot);
+		if (!result?.position) {
+			return { ok: false, code: "no_position", detail: "bot has no position", worldDelta: null };
+		}
+		if (result.score < MIN_BASE_SCORE) {
+			return {
+				ok: false,
+				code: "too_weak",
+				detail: { score: result.score, reasons: result.reasons },
+				worldDelta: null,
+			};
+		}
+		const loc = setLocation("base", {
+			x: result.position.x,
+			y: result.position.y,
+			z: result.position.z,
+			dimension: ctx.snapshot?.dimension ?? "overworld",
+			radius: 8,
+			note: `auto-chosen base, score=${result.score}`,
+		});
+		return {
+			ok: true,
+			code: "done",
+			detail: { location: loc, score: result.score, reasons: result.reasons },
+			worldDelta: { baseAt: { x: loc.x, y: loc.y, z: loc.z }, score: result.score },
+		};
+	},
+	recover(ctx, result) {
+		// Most failures (too_weak) want us to wander and re-evaluate.
+		if (result.code === "too_weak") return { hint: "wander", reason: "current spot doesn't pass base threshold" };
+		return null;
+	},
+});
diff --git a/runtime/skills/index.js b/runtime/skills/index.js
index 56b1d7e..a3b7616 100644
--- a/runtime/skills/index.js
+++ b/runtime/skills/index.js
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import { skill as chopLogs } from "./chop-logs.js";
 import { skill as eat } from "./eat.js";
 import { skill as wander } from "./wander.js";
 import { skill as gatherStone } from "./gather-stone.js";
+import { skill as chooseBase } from "./choose-base.js";
 import {
 	craftPlanksSkill,
 	craftSticksSkill,
@@ -55,6 +56,7 @@ register(chopLogs);
 register(eat);
 register(wander);
 register(gatherStone);
+register(chooseBase);
 register(craftPlanksSkill);
 register(craftSticksSkill);
 register(craftWoodenAxeSkill);