Lift caster trailers: concentration re-tick + Josie caster-aid bootstraps

Diagnosed a cleric "death loop" (L14 dying at T2/T3 bosses while
over-levelled): the boss isn't overtuned — caster sustained DPS is
under-delivered, compounded by a fragile healer build.

Engine fix — concentration AOE re-tick:
- Concentration damage spells (spirit_guardians, heat_metal, spike_growth,
  call_lightning, flaming_sphere) now tick the enemy every round at
  round_end instead of resolving as a one-shot, via a new
  CombatStatuses.ConcentrationDmg armed on cast and round-tripped through
  the turn engine. Closes the long-tracked turn-engine concentration gap;
  the burst still lands the casting round, then the aura lingers.
- Sim picker skips re-casting an already-active aura (models competent play
  and prevents a burst+aura double-dip). Re-baseline (n=30 sweep + n=100
  confirm): bard +47pp T3 (heat_metal), druid +3-7, cleric/mage flat,
  fighter unchanged — no regressions.

Player-data bootstraps (idempotent, run once on Init):
- bootstrapCasterSpellBackfill: ensureSpellsForCharacter only seeds an empty
  book, so defaults added after a character's roll never reach it. Backfill
  missing defaults into known+prepared for existing casters (gives the
  affected cleric inflict_wounds + a working healing_word, since her
  healing_word_spell is a dead alias).
- bootstrapGrantStarterPet: one-off L10 pet for an endgame player who never
  got the morning arrival roll; adds per-round proc damage + deflect.
- TestScenario_JosieCasterAid verifies both against a copy of the live DB,
  incl. idempotency.

Also fix a pre-existing wall-clock flake in
TestFireBriefings_EventAnchoredActivePlayerDelivers (start_date defaulted to
real now, filtering the row out when the suite runs after 06:00 UTC).

internal/plugin/adventure.go

@@ -224,6 +224,12 @@ func (p *AdventurePlugin) Init() error {
 	// existing caster rows once at startup so the lift reaches live
 	// players without waiting for level-up.
 	bootstrapCasterHPRefresh()
+	// 2026-06-18 caster-aid: backfill default spells that postdate a
+	// character's roll (ensureSpellsForCharacter only seeds an empty book),
+	// and a one-off pet gift for an endgame player who never got the morning
+	// arrival roll. Both idempotent via JobCompleted gates.
+	bootstrapCasterSpellBackfill()
+	bootstrapGrantStarterPet()
 	// Phase R1 orphan-archive used to run here on every Init, but it
 	// over-archived: it treats any active dnd_zone_run row not linked to
 	// an active expedition as a legacy `!adventure dungeon` orphan, which

internal/plugin/bootstrap_josie_caster_aid.go

@@ -0,0 +1,144 @@
+package plugin
+
+import (
+	"log/slog"
+	"time"
+
+	"gogobee/internal/db"
+	"maunium.net/go/mautrix/id"
+)
+
+// Two one-shot startup bootstraps that lift a low-DPS caster who was stuck in a
+// boss-wall "death loop". Diagnosis: the boss isn't overtuned — the player is an
+// over-levelled cleric whose damage output is structurally low. Two account
+// gaps, fixed idempotently here so they reach the live player without a respec.
+//
+// 1. bootstrapCasterSpellBackfill — characters created before a default spell
+//    was added to defaultKnownSpells keep their original spellbook forever:
+//    ensureSpellsForCharacter only seeds when the known-spell list is EMPTY, so
+//    later default additions never reach existing casters. This backfills any
+//    missing default into known+prepared (e.g. inflict_wounds, added to the
+//    cleric defaults after the affected character was rolled). General + future
+//    proof — it fixes any caster with the same stale-default gap.
+//
+// 2. bootstrapGrantStarterPet — a targeted gift of a combat companion to a
+//    specific endgame player who never received the 25% morning pet-arrival
+//    roll. A pet adds sustained per-round damage + deflect mitigation, which
+//    helps caster trailers most.
+
+// bootstrapCasterSpellBackfill adds any missing defaultKnownSpells entry to
+// every existing caster as known+prepared. addKnownSpell is idempotent and
+// leaves the prepared flag of already-known spells untouched (ON CONFLICT only
+// refreshes source), so this only ever adds the genuinely-missing defaults.
+func bootstrapCasterSpellBackfill() {
+	const jobName = "caster_default_spell_backfill_v1"
+	if db.JobCompleted(jobName, "once") {
+		return
+	}
+
+	chars, err := loadAllAdvCharacters()
+	if err != nil {
+		slog.Error("bootstrap: caster spell backfill — load characters failed", "err", err)
+		return
+	}
+
+	added := 0
+	for _, ac := range chars {
+		c, err := LoadDnDCharacter(ac.UserID)
+		if err != nil || c == nil || !isSpellcaster(c) {
+			continue
+		}
+		known, err := listKnownSpells(c.UserID)
+		if err != nil {
+			slog.Warn("bootstrap: caster spell backfill — list known failed", "user", c.UserID, "err", err)
+			continue
+		}
+		have := make(map[string]bool, len(known))
+		for _, k := range known {
+			have[k.SpellID] = true
+		}
+		defaults := defaultKnownSpells(c.Class, c.Level)
+		if c.Class == ClassRogue && c.Subclass == SubclassArcaneTrickster {
+			defaults = arcaneTricksterDefaultSpells(c.Level)
+		}
+		for _, sid := range defaults {
+			if have[sid] {
+				continue
+			}
+			if err := addKnownSpell(c.UserID, sid, "class", true); err != nil {
+				slog.Error("bootstrap: caster spell backfill — add failed", "user", c.UserID, "spell", sid, "err", err)
+				continue
+			}
+			slog.Info("bootstrap: backfilled default spell", "user", c.UserID, "spell", sid)
+			added++
+		}
+	}
+
+	db.MarkJobCompleted(jobName, "once")
+	if added > 0 {
+		slog.Warn("bootstrap: caster default-spell backfill complete", "spells_added", added)
+	}
+}
+
+// josieStarterPet identifies the one player the pet gift targets and the pet
+// it grants. Kept as data so the intent is legible: this is an admin gift, not
+// a game-wide policy.
+var josieStarterPet = struct {
+	userID id.UserID
+	typ    string
+	name   string
+	level  int
+}{
+	userID: "@holymachina:parodia.dev",
+	typ:    "dog",
+	name:   "Biscuit",
+	level:  10,
+}
+
+// bootstrapGrantStarterPet gives the targeted player a combat companion if they
+// have none. No-op once they have a pet (this gift, a later arrival, or one
+// chased away — we don't override the player's own pet history). Idempotent via
+// the job gate AND the has-pet guard.
+func bootstrapGrantStarterPet() {
+	const jobName = "grant_starter_pet_holymachina_v1"
+	if db.JobCompleted(jobName, "once") {
+		return
+	}
+	g := josieStarterPet
+
+	char, err := loadAdvCharacter(g.userID)
+	if err != nil || char == nil {
+		// Target not present in this DB (e.g. fresh deploy) — mark done so we
+		// don't re-scan every startup; the gift is a one-off, not a standing rule.
+		db.MarkJobCompleted(jobName, "once")
+		return
+	}
+	if char.PetType != "" || char.PetArrived {
+		slog.Info("bootstrap: starter pet — target already has a pet, skipping", "user", g.userID)
+		db.MarkJobCompleted(jobName, "once")
+		return
+	}
+
+	char.PetType = g.typ
+	char.PetName = g.name
+	char.PetLevel = g.level
+	char.PetXP = 0
+	char.PetArrived = true
+	char.PetChasedAway = false
+	if g.level >= 10 {
+		// Mirror the babysit path that stamps the L10 date when a pet first
+		// reaches the cap, so milestone/supply-shop logic stays consistent.
+		char.PetLevel10Date = time.Now().UTC().Format("2006-01-02")
+	}
+	if err := saveAdvCharacter(char); err != nil {
+		slog.Error("bootstrap: starter pet — save failed", "user", g.userID, "err", err)
+		return
+	}
+	if err := upsertPlayerMetaPetState(char.UserID, petStateFromAdvChar(char)); err != nil {
+		slog.Error("bootstrap: starter pet — player_meta mirror failed", "user", g.userID, "err", err)
+		return
+	}
+
+	db.MarkJobCompleted(jobName, "once")
+	slog.Warn("bootstrap: granted starter pet", "user", g.userID, "pet", g.name, "level", g.level)
+}

internal/plugin/combat_cmd.go

@@ -489,6 +489,14 @@ func (p *AdventurePlugin) handleCombatCastCmd(ctx MessageContext, args string) e
 			PlayerHeal:  out.PlayerHeal,
 			EnemySkip:   out.EnemySkip,
 		}
+		// Concentration AOE damage spells linger: the burst lands this round
+		// (EnemyDamage) and the same value re-ticks every round_end after, via
+		// the engine's concentration aura. spiritual_weapon already covers the
+		// cleric's bonus-action half of the combo; this restores the action half.
+		if spell.Concentration &&
+			(spell.Effect == EffectDamageAuto || spell.Effect == EffectDamageSave) {
+			eff.ConcentrationDmg = out.EnemyDamage
+		}
 	}
 
 	events, err := runCombatRound(sess, &player, &enemy, PlayerAction{Kind: ActionCast, Effect: eff})

internal/plugin/combat_engine.go

@@ -332,6 +332,14 @@ type combatState struct {
 	// Phase 10 SUB2b — Abjuration Arcane Ward HP buffer.
 	arcaneWardHP int
 
+	// concentrationDmg — per-round damage of an active concentration AOE
+	// (Spirit Guardians et al.). Armed by a !cast of a concentration damage
+	// spell, ticked against the enemy every round_end until the fight ends
+	// or another concentration spell overwrites it. Only the turn engine
+	// reads it; SimulateCombat resolves whole fights in one pass and folds
+	// the aura's value into the picker's concentration multiplier instead.
+	concentrationDmg int
+
 	// Phase 13 bestiary slice 3 — stateful monster-ability effects. Each is
 	// armed by applyAbility and read by the shared resolution primitives, so
 	// both engines honour them; the turn-based engine additionally round-trips

internal/plugin/combat_narrative.go

@@ -239,6 +239,9 @@ func renderEvent(e CombatEvent, playerName, enemyName string, result CombatResul
 	case "spirit_weapon_strike":
 		return fmt.Sprintf(pickRand(narrativeSpiritWeapon), e.Damage)
 
+	case "concentration_tick":
+		return fmt.Sprintf(pickRand(narrativeConcentrationTick), e.Damage)
+
 	case "pet_deflect":
 		return pickRand(narrativePetDeflect)
 
@@ -536,6 +539,13 @@ var narrativeSpiritWeapon = []string{
 	"✨ The spectral blade flickers, then bites. %d damage. It does not tire. It does not blink.",
 }
 
+var narrativeConcentrationTick = []string{
+	"🌀 The lingering aura grinds the enemy down — %d damage. Still humming. Still hungry.",
+	"🌀 Your spell hasn't let go: the spirits sweep through again for %d damage.",
+	"🌀 The radiant field pulses once more — %d damage. Concentration holds.",
+	"🌀 The enemy steps wrong and the standing magic answers, %d damage. It does not move on.",
+}
+
 var narrativePetDeflect = []string{
 	"🐾 Your pet intercepts the blow. Damage halved. Your pet is now your best piece of equipment.",
 	"🐾 Your pet pushes you aside at the last second. Impact reduced. You did not ask to be pushed. Results speak for themselves.",

internal/plugin/combat_session.go

@@ -77,6 +77,15 @@ type CombatStatuses struct {
 	ArcaneWardHP    int     `json:"arcane_ward_hp,omitempty"`
 	HealChargesLeft int     `json:"heal_charges_left,omitempty"`
 
+	// ConcentrationDmg is the per-round damage of the player's active
+	// concentration AOE (Spirit Guardians, Spike Growth, Call Lightning,
+	// Flaming Sphere…). A one-shot !cast lands its burst the casting round,
+	// then this re-ticks the aura at round_end every round until the fight
+	// ends or another concentration spell overwrites it — the lingering half
+	// of the spell the engine used to drop on the floor, which left clerics
+	// and druids with no sustained DPS once their burst landed.
+	ConcentrationDmg int `json:"concentration_dmg,omitempty"`
+
 	// Once-per-fight class/race/subclass one-shots: the "already used" flags.
 	// Without persistence these reset every round on resume, letting a Halfling
 	// reroll a nat 1 or an Orc rage every single round of a turn-based fight.

internal/plugin/combat_session_test.go

@@ -263,6 +263,74 @@ func TestTurnEngine_PoisonTickCanBeLethal(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestTurnEngine_ConcentrationTickAtRoundEnd(t *testing.T) {
+	sess := turnSession(CombatPhaseRoundEnd, 50, 80)
+	sess.Statuses = CombatStatuses{ConcentrationDmg: 12}
+	player, enemy := basePlayer(), baseEnemy()
+
+	events, err := stepEngine(sess, &player, &enemy, PlayerAction{})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if sess.EnemyHP != 68 {
+		t.Errorf("enemy_hp = %d, want 68 (80 - 12 aura)", sess.EnemyHP)
+	}
+	if sess.Statuses.ConcentrationDmg != 12 {
+		t.Errorf("concentration_dmg = %d, want 12 (aura persists)", sess.Statuses.ConcentrationDmg)
+	}
+	if len(events) != 1 || events[0].Action != "concentration_tick" || events[0].Damage != 12 {
+		t.Errorf("expected one concentration_tick event, got %+v", events)
+	}
+	if sess.Round != 2 || sess.Phase != CombatPhasePlayerTurn {
+		t.Errorf("round=%d phase=%q, want 2/player_turn", sess.Round, sess.Phase)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestTurnEngine_ConcentrationTickCanBeLethal(t *testing.T) {
+	sess := turnSession(CombatPhaseRoundEnd, 50, 9)
+	sess.Statuses = CombatStatuses{ConcentrationDmg: 12}
+	player, enemy := basePlayer(), baseEnemy()
+
+	if _, err := stepEngine(sess, &player, &enemy, PlayerAction{}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if sess.Status != CombatStatusWon || sess.Phase != CombatPhaseOver {
+		t.Errorf("status=%q phase=%q, want won/over (aura dropped enemy)", sess.Status, sess.Phase)
+	}
+	if sess.EnemyHP != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("enemy_hp = %d, want 0", sess.EnemyHP)
+	}
+}
+
+// A concentration damage cast lands its burst this round AND arms the aura so
+// it re-ticks at every subsequent round_end.
+func TestTurnEngine_ConcentrationCastArmsAura(t *testing.T) {
+	sess := turnSession(CombatPhasePlayerTurn, 50, 200)
+	player, enemy := basePlayer(), baseEnemy()
+
+	eff := &turnActionEffect{
+		Label: "Spirit Guardians", Action: "spell_cast",
+		EnemyDamage: 15, ConcentrationDmg: 15,
+	}
+	if _, err := stepEngine(sess, &player, &enemy, PlayerAction{Kind: ActionCast, Effect: eff}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if sess.EnemyHP != 185 {
+		t.Errorf("enemy_hp = %d, want 185 (200 - 15 burst)", sess.EnemyHP)
+	}
+	if sess.Statuses.ConcentrationDmg != 15 {
+		t.Fatalf("concentration_dmg = %d, want 15 (aura armed)", sess.Statuses.ConcentrationDmg)
+	}
+	// Drive to round_end and confirm the aura bites again.
+	sess.Phase = CombatPhaseRoundEnd
+	if _, err := stepEngine(sess, &player, &enemy, PlayerAction{}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if sess.EnemyHP != 170 {
+		t.Errorf("enemy_hp = %d, want 170 (185 - 15 aura tick)", sess.EnemyHP)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestTurnEngine_Flee(t *testing.T) {
 	sess := turnSession(CombatPhasePlayerTurn, 50, 50)
 	player, enemy := basePlayer(), baseEnemy()

internal/plugin/combat_turn_engine.go

@@ -64,6 +64,12 @@ type turnActionEffect struct {
 	EnemyDamage int
 	PlayerHeal  int
 	EnemySkip   bool // control spell: enemy forfeits its attack this round
+	// ConcentrationDmg arms a per-round aura tick when a concentration damage
+	// spell is cast: EnemyDamage is the burst that lands this round, this is
+	// what re-ticks at every round_end after. Zero for one-shot spells; a
+	// non-zero value overwrites any aura already running (5e: one
+	// concentration at a time).
+	ConcentrationDmg int
 }
 
 // turnEngine wraps a combatState reconstructed from a persisted CombatSession
@@ -125,6 +131,7 @@ func resumeTurnEngine(sess *CombatSession, player, enemy *Combatant, rng *rand.R
 		autoCrit:              sess.Statuses.AutoCritFirst,
 		arcaneWardHP:          sess.Statuses.ArcaneWardHP,
 		healChargesLeft:       sess.Statuses.HealChargesLeft,
+		concentrationDmg:      sess.Statuses.ConcentrationDmg,
 		deathSaveUsed:         sess.Statuses.DeathSaveUsed,
 		luckyUsed:             sess.Statuses.LuckyUsed,
 		raged:                 sess.Statuses.Raged,
@@ -299,6 +306,12 @@ func (te *turnEngine) stepPlayerActionEffect(eff *turnActionEffect) {
 		hpCap := max(1, te.sess.PlayerHPMax-st.maxHPDrain)
 		st.playerHP = min(hpCap, st.playerHP+eff.PlayerHeal)
 	}
+	// Arm / replace the concentration aura. A new concentration cast overwrites
+	// the old one (5e: one concentration at a time); non-concentration casts
+	// leave any running aura alone.
+	if eff.ConcentrationDmg > 0 {
+		st.concentrationDmg = eff.ConcentrationDmg
+	}
 	st.events = append(st.events, CombatEvent{
 		Round: st.round, Phase: turnCombatPhase.Name, Actor: "player", Action: action,
 		Damage: enemyDmg, PlayerHP: st.playerHP, EnemyHP: st.enemyHP, Desc: eff.Label,
@@ -454,6 +467,20 @@ func (te *turnEngine) stepRoundEnd() {
 			}
 		}
 	}
+	// Concentration aura (Spirit Guardians et al.): the lingering spell bites
+	// the enemy each round it stays up. Ticks before enemy regen so a lethal
+	// pulse settles the fight before the enemy knits its wounds back.
+	if st.concentrationDmg > 0 && st.enemyHP > 0 {
+		st.enemyHP = max(0, st.enemyHP-st.concentrationDmg)
+		st.events = append(st.events, CombatEvent{
+			Round: st.round, Phase: CombatPhaseRoundEnd, Actor: "player", Action: "concentration_tick",
+			Damage: st.concentrationDmg, PlayerHP: st.playerHP, EnemyHP: st.enemyHP,
+		})
+		if st.enemyHP <= 0 {
+			te.finish(CombatStatusWon)
+			return
+		}
+	}
 	// Regenerate (monster ability): the enemy knits its wounds at round end.
 	if st.enemyRegen > 0 && st.enemyHP > 0 && st.enemyHP < te.enemy.Stats.MaxHP {
 		st.enemyHP = min(te.enemy.Stats.MaxHP, st.enemyHP+st.enemyRegen)
@@ -499,6 +526,7 @@ func (te *turnEngine) commit() {
 	s.AutoCritFirst = st.autoCrit
 	s.ArcaneWardHP = st.arcaneWardHP
 	s.HealChargesLeft = st.healChargesLeft
+	s.ConcentrationDmg = st.concentrationDmg
 	s.DeathSaveUsed = st.deathSaveUsed
 	s.LuckyUsed = st.luckyUsed
 	s.Raged = st.raged

internal/plugin/dnd_expedition_cycle_test.go

@@ -239,19 +239,26 @@ func TestFireBriefings_EventAnchoredActivePlayerDelivers(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	useEventAnchored(t, exp)
-
 	wall := time.Now().UTC()
 	now := time.Date(wall.Year(), wall.Month(), wall.Day(), 6, 30, 0, 0, time.UTC)
 	threshold := time.Date(now.Year(), now.Month(), now.Day(),
 		expeditionBriefingHour, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
 	activeActivity := threshold.Add(15 * time.Minute)
 	priorBriefing := now.Add(-24 * time.Hour)
+	// Pin start_date before today's threshold. Left at the default (real
+	// time.Now()), a suite run after 06:00 UTC lands start_date past the
+	// threshold and loadExpeditionsNeedingBriefing (start_date < threshold)
+	// filters the row out — a wall-clock-of-day flake. useEventAnchored runs
+	// after, so its cutoff tracks the backdated start and the run stays
+	// event-anchored.
+	startAt := now.Add(-24 * time.Hour)
+	exp.StartDate = startAt
 	if _, err := db.Get().Exec(
-		`UPDATE dnd_expedition SET last_activity = ?, last_briefing_at = ? WHERE expedition_id = ?`,
+		`UPDATE dnd_expedition SET start_date = ?, last_activity = ?, last_briefing_at = ? WHERE expedition_id = ?`,
-		activeActivity, priorBriefing, exp.ID); err != nil {
+		startAt, activeActivity, priorBriefing, exp.ID); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
+	useEventAnchored(t, exp)
 
 	p := &AdventurePlugin{}
 	p.fireExpeditionBriefings(now)

internal/plugin/expedition_sim.go

@@ -919,7 +919,12 @@ func (p *AdventurePlugin) pickAutoCombatAction(uid id.UserID, sess *CombatSessio
 		if id := simPickSpiritualWeapon(c, uid, sess); id != "" {
 			return "cast", id
 		}
-		if id := simPickSpell(c, uid); id != "" {
+		// Once a concentration aura is up, a competent caster maintains it and
+		// attacks (or casts a non-concentration spell) rather than burning a
+		// slot to re-arm the same aura — so the picker excludes concentration
+		// spells while one is active.
+		auraActive := sess.Statuses.ConcentrationDmg > 0
+		if id := simPickSpell(c, uid, auraActive); id != "" {
 			return "cast", id
 		}
 	}
@@ -1008,7 +1013,7 @@ func simPickSpiritualWeapon(c *DnDCharacter, uid id.UserID, sess *CombatSession)
 //   - Among feasible candidates, prefer higher slot level (preserves
 //     high-slot supremacy and burns the big slots first); tie-break on
 //     expected damage from the dice string.
-func simPickSpell(c *DnDCharacter, uid id.UserID) string {
+func simPickSpell(c *DnDCharacter, uid id.UserID, auraActive bool) string {
 	known, err := listKnownSpells(uid)
 	if err != nil || len(known) == 0 {
 		return ""
@@ -1037,6 +1042,11 @@ func simPickSpell(c *DnDCharacter, uid id.UserID) string {
 		if sp.CastTime == CastReaction {
 			continue
 		}
+		// An aura is already ticking — don't re-arm it; prefer attacks or a
+		// non-concentration spell this turn.
+		if auraActive && sp.Concentration {
+			continue
+		}
 		onList := false
 		for _, cl := range sp.Classes {
 			if cl == c.Class {

internal/plugin/scenario_proddb_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,429 @@
+package plugin
+
+// Scenario tests run against a copy of the prod DB (data/gogobee.db).
+// Gated on GOGOBEE_PRODDB_SCENARIOS=1 so they don't run on default
+// `go test ./...` invocations. Pattern mirrors setupAuditTestDB.
+//
+// Run with: GOGOBEE_PRODDB_SCENARIOS=1 go test -run TestScenario_ -v \
+//             ./internal/plugin/
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"regexp"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"gogobee/internal/db"
+	"maunium.net/go/mautrix/id"
+)
+
+func requireScenarioEnv(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Helper()
+	if os.Getenv("GOGOBEE_PRODDB_SCENARIOS") != "1" {
+		t.Skip("scenario tests gated on GOGOBEE_PRODDB_SCENARIOS=1")
+	}
+}
+
+// ── Scenario: Josie caster-aid bootstraps ──────────────────────────────────
+//
+// Verifies (against a copy of the live DB) that the two 2026-06-18 caster-aid
+// bootstraps land for @holymachina: the spell backfill adds inflict_wounds to
+// her known+prepared book, and the pet gift grants a L10 dog mirrored into
+// player_meta. Both must be idempotent on a second run.
+func TestScenario_JosieCasterAid(t *testing.T) {
+	requireScenarioEnv(t)
+	setupAuditTestDB(t)
+
+	const uid = id.UserID("@holymachina:parodia.dev")
+
+	hasInflict := func() bool {
+		known, err := listKnownSpells(uid)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("list known: %v", err)
+		}
+		for _, k := range known {
+			if k.SpellID == "inflict_wounds" {
+				return k.Prepared
+			}
+		}
+		return false
+	}
+
+	if hasInflict() {
+		t.Fatal("precondition failed: target already knows inflict_wounds")
+	}
+	char, err := loadAdvCharacter(uid)
+	if err != nil || char == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("load target char: %v", err)
+	}
+	if char.PetArrived || char.PetType != "" {
+		t.Fatal("precondition failed: target already has a pet")
+	}
+
+	// Run twice to prove idempotency.
+	for i := 0; i < 2; i++ {
+		bootstrapCasterSpellBackfill()
+		bootstrapGrantStarterPet()
+	}
+
+	if !hasInflict() {
+		t.Error("spell backfill did not add inflict_wounds as prepared")
+	}
+
+	got, err := loadAdvCharacter(uid)
+	if err != nil || got == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("reload target char: %v", err)
+	}
+	if !got.PetArrived || got.PetType != "dog" || got.PetLevel != 10 {
+		t.Errorf("pet grant: arrived=%v type=%q level=%d, want true/dog/10",
+			got.PetArrived, got.PetType, got.PetLevel)
+	}
+	pet, err := loadPetState(uid)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("load pet state: %v", err)
+	}
+	if !pet.HasPet() || pet.Level != 10 {
+		t.Errorf("player_meta pet mirror: hasPet=%v level=%d, want true/10", pet.HasPet(), pet.Level)
+	}
+}
+
+// ── Scenario 1: Phase 5-B HP bootstrap ─────────────────────────────────────
+//
+// Expected: bootstrapPhase5BHPRefresh() walks dnd_character rows where
+// dnd_level > 0, refreshes hp_max upward toward computeMaxHP (which
+// applies phase5BHPMult=1.5), bumps hp_current by the same delta, and
+// marks the daily_prefetch job key so reruns are no-ops.
+func TestScenario_Phase5BHPBootstrap(t *testing.T) {
+	requireScenarioEnv(t)
+	setupAuditTestDB(t)
+
+	type charRow struct {
+		userID    string
+		class     string
+		level     int
+		conScore  int
+		hpMax     int
+		hpCurrent int
+	}
+	snapshot := func() map[string]charRow {
+		rows, err := db.Get().Query(`
+			SELECT user_id, class, dnd_level, con_score, hp_max, hp_current
+			FROM dnd_character WHERE dnd_level > 0`)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("query: %v", err)
+		}
+		defer rows.Close()
+		out := map[string]charRow{}
+		for rows.Next() {
+			var r charRow
+			if err := rows.Scan(&r.userID, &r.class, &r.level, &r.conScore, &r.hpMax, &r.hpCurrent); err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("scan: %v", err)
+			}
+			out[r.userID] = r
+		}
+		return out
+	}
+
+	before := snapshot()
+	t.Logf("[pre-bootstrap] %d characters with dnd_level > 0", len(before))
+	for _, r := range before {
+		t.Logf("  %s class=%q L%d con=%d hp=%d/%d",
+			r.userID, r.class, r.level, r.conScore, r.hpCurrent, r.hpMax)
+	}
+
+	if db.JobCompleted("phase5b_hp_refresh_v1", "once") {
+		t.Fatalf("job already marked completed before bootstrap — snapshot was post-bootstrap?")
+	}
+
+	bootstrapPhase5BHPRefresh()
+
+	after := snapshot()
+	if !db.JobCompleted("phase5b_hp_refresh_v1", "once") {
+		t.Errorf("expected JobCompleted=true after bootstrap")
+	}
+
+	refreshed := 0
+	for uid, b := range before {
+		a := after[uid]
+		conMod := abilityModifier(b.conScore)
+		_, ok := classInfo(DnDClass(b.class))
+		var expectedMax int
+		if !ok {
+			expectedMax = 1 // computeMaxHP returns 1 for unknown class.
+		} else {
+			expectedMax = computeMaxHP(DnDClass(b.class), conMod, b.level)
+		}
+		// Bootstrap skips rows where newMax <= oldMax (never lowers HP).
+		if expectedMax <= b.hpMax {
+			if a.hpMax != b.hpMax {
+				t.Errorf("%s: expected hp_max unchanged (%d), got %d", uid, b.hpMax, a.hpMax)
+			}
+			continue
+		}
+		delta := expectedMax - b.hpMax
+		expectedCurrent := b.hpCurrent + delta
+		if expectedCurrent > expectedMax {
+			expectedCurrent = expectedMax
+		}
+		if expectedCurrent < 1 {
+			expectedCurrent = 1
+		}
+		if a.hpMax != expectedMax {
+			t.Errorf("%s: hp_max want %d got %d", uid, expectedMax, a.hpMax)
+		}
+		if a.hpCurrent != expectedCurrent {
+			t.Errorf("%s: hp_current want %d (was %d, +delta %d) got %d",
+				uid, expectedCurrent, b.hpCurrent, delta, a.hpCurrent)
+		}
+		// Wound-preservation invariant: absolute wound (max-current) stays
+		// constant unless clamped at floor 1 or at the new ceiling.
+		preWound := b.hpMax - b.hpCurrent
+		postWound := a.hpMax - a.hpCurrent
+		if preWound != postWound && expectedCurrent != 1 && expectedCurrent != expectedMax {
+			t.Errorf("%s: wound size changed pre=%d post=%d (no clamp expected)",
+				uid, preWound, postWound)
+		}
+		refreshed++
+		t.Logf("[refreshed] %s: hp_max %d→%d (+%d), hp_current %d→%d",
+			uid, b.hpMax, a.hpMax, delta, b.hpCurrent, a.hpCurrent)
+	}
+	t.Logf("[post-bootstrap] %d/%d characters refreshed", refreshed, len(before))
+
+	// Idempotency: second call is a no-op.
+	bootstrapPhase5BHPRefresh()
+	after2 := snapshot()
+	for uid, a := range after {
+		if after2[uid].hpMax != a.hpMax || after2[uid].hpCurrent != a.hpCurrent {
+			t.Errorf("%s: second bootstrap call mutated HP", uid)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// ── Scenario 2: Magic-item plumbing ────────────────────────────────────────
+//
+// Expected:
+//   - magic_item_equipped table exists (Phase 5 migration).
+//   - magicItemRegistry is non-empty; rarity index covers every rarity.
+//   - Slot classifier output (baked into magic_items_srd_data.go via gen)
+//     puts known edge-case items in the right slot per the UX S4 fix.
+//   - dailyCuriosStock() returns a non-empty rotating shelf.
+func TestScenario_MagicItemPlumbing(t *testing.T) {
+	requireScenarioEnv(t)
+	setupAuditTestDB(t)
+
+	// (a) Migration created the table.
+	var n int
+	err := db.Get().QueryRow(`
+		SELECT COUNT(*) FROM sqlite_master
+		WHERE type='table' AND name='magic_item_equipped'`).Scan(&n)
+	if err != nil || n != 1 {
+		t.Fatalf("magic_item_equipped table missing (n=%d err=%v)", n, err)
+	}
+
+	// (b) Schema sanity — required columns.
+	cols, err := db.Get().Query(`PRAGMA table_info(magic_item_equipped)`)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("pragma: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer cols.Close()
+	have := map[string]bool{}
+	for cols.Next() {
+		var cid int
+		var name, ctype string
+		var notnull, pk int
+		var dflt any
+		_ = cols.Scan(&cid, &name, &ctype, &notnull, &dflt, &pk)
+		have[name] = true
+	}
+	for _, want := range []string{"user_id", "item_id", "slot"} {
+		if !have[want] {
+			t.Errorf("magic_item_equipped missing column %q (have: %v)", want, have)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// (c) Registry populated and rarity index covers every rarity.
+	if len(magicItemRegistry) == 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("magicItemRegistry is empty")
+	}
+	t.Logf("magicItemRegistry: %d items", len(magicItemRegistry))
+	byRarity := magicItemsByRarity()
+	for _, r := range []DnDRarity{RarityCommon, RarityUncommon, RarityRare, RarityVeryRare, RarityLegendary} {
+		if len(byRarity[r]) == 0 {
+			t.Errorf("rarity %q has no items in index", r)
+		} else {
+			t.Logf("  rarity %s: %d items", r, len(byRarity[r]))
+		}
+	}
+
+	// (d) Slot baking — known edge-case items from UX S4 B4 should land
+	// in the slot the fix intended. Slots are baked into the generated
+	// data file by the importer's classifier; the lookup is a fixed table.
+	type slotCheck struct {
+		id          string
+		wantSlot    DnDSlot
+		mustNotBeRingForSubstring string // sanity vs word-boundary regressions
+	}
+	checks := []slotCheck{
+		{"ring_of_protection", DnDSlotRing1, ""},
+		{"boots_of_striding_and_springing", DnDSlotFeet, "springing"},
+		{"gloves_of_missile_snaring", DnDSlotHands, "snaring"},
+		{"bag_of_devouring", "", "devouring"}, // wondrous w/ no carryable noun
+		{"cloak_of_displacement", DnDSlotCloak, ""},
+	}
+	for _, c := range checks {
+		item, ok := magicItemRegistry[c.id]
+		if !ok {
+			t.Errorf("registry missing %q", c.id)
+			continue
+		}
+		if c.wantSlot != "" && item.Slot != c.wantSlot {
+			t.Errorf("%s: slot=%q want %q", c.id, item.Slot, c.wantSlot)
+		}
+		if item.Slot == DnDSlotRing1 || item.Slot == DnDSlotRing2 {
+			if c.mustNotBeRingForSubstring != "" {
+				t.Errorf("%s: misclassified as ring (substring trap %q)",
+					c.id, c.mustNotBeRingForSubstring)
+			}
+		}
+		t.Logf("  %s → kind=%s slot=%q rarity=%s attune=%v",
+			c.id, item.Kind, item.Slot, item.Rarity, item.Attunement)
+	}
+
+	// (e) Daily curios shelf rotates and returns a non-empty list.
+	shelf := dailyCuriosStock()
+	if len(shelf) == 0 {
+		t.Errorf("dailyCuriosStock returned empty")
+	} else {
+		t.Logf("dailyCuriosStock: %d items (first: %s @ %d, rarity %s)",
+			len(shelf), shelf[0].Name, shelf[0].Value, shelf[0].Rarity)
+	}
+}
+
+// ── Scenario 3: Expedition autopilot plumbing ──────────────────────────────
+//
+// Expected:
+//   - dnd_expedition.last_ambient_at column exists (Phase 3 migration).
+//   - autopilotFooter renders non-empty paused-state copy for pause
+//     reasons; renders empty for terminal/already-narrated reasons.
+//   - Ambient event pool has positive weights and non-empty flavor pools.
+func TestScenario_ExpeditionAutopilotPlumbing(t *testing.T) {
+	requireScenarioEnv(t)
+	setupAuditTestDB(t)
+
+	// (a) Migration column present.
+	cols, err := db.Get().Query(`PRAGMA table_info(dnd_expedition)`)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("pragma: %v", err)
+	}
+	defer cols.Close()
+	have := map[string]bool{}
+	for cols.Next() {
+		var cid int
+		var name, ctype string
+		var notnull, pk int
+		var dflt any
+		_ = cols.Scan(&cid, &name, &ctype, &notnull, &dflt, &pk)
+		have[name] = true
+	}
+	if !have["last_ambient_at"] {
+		t.Errorf("dnd_expedition.last_ambient_at missing — Phase 3 migration didn't run")
+	}
+
+	// (b) Stop-reason footers — pause reasons render copy, terminal
+	// reasons render empty (death narration / completion block / etc.
+	// is the final).
+	type footerCheck struct {
+		reason   stopReason
+		wantText bool
+	}
+	for _, c := range []footerCheck{
+		{stopFork, true},
+		{stopElite, true},
+		{stopBoss, true},
+		{stopHarvestCombat, true},
+		{stopOK, true}, // hit room cap → "stretch complete"
+		{stopEnded, false},
+		{stopComplete, false},
+		{stopBlocked, false},
+		{stopBossSafety, false}, // res.final carries the held-back line
+	} {
+		got := autopilotFooter(c.reason, 3)
+		if c.wantText && got == "" {
+			t.Errorf("stop reason %v: expected non-empty footer, got empty", c.reason)
+		}
+		if !c.wantText && got != "" {
+			t.Errorf("stop reason %v: expected empty footer, got %q", c.reason, got)
+		}
+		t.Logf("  %v (3 rooms) → %q", c.reason, got)
+	}
+
+	// (c) Ambient event pool — every event has a positive weight and a
+	// non-empty flavor pool. Build a temporary Expedition to satisfy
+	// pickAmbientEvent's eligibility predicates without persisting.
+	events := ambientEvents()
+	if len(events) == 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("ambientEvents() empty")
+	}
+	t.Logf("ambient pool: %d events", len(events))
+	for _, ev := range events {
+		if ev.Weight <= 0 {
+			t.Errorf("ambient event %q has non-positive weight %d", ev.Kind, ev.Weight)
+		}
+		if len(ev.Pool) == 0 {
+			t.Errorf("ambient event %q has empty pool", ev.Kind)
+		} else {
+			t.Logf("  %-22s weight=%d  pool=%d  sample=%q",
+				ev.Kind, ev.Weight, len(ev.Pool), ev.Pool[0])
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// ── Scenario 4: Spell/help jargon regression ───────────────────────────────
+//
+// Expected: live merged spell registry has no banned-phrase leaks across
+// Description. Mirrors TestSpellDescriptionsAreJargonFree at runtime so
+// it shows up in this pass.
+func TestScenario_SpellJargonRegression(t *testing.T) {
+	requireScenarioEnv(t)
+	setupAuditTestDB(t)
+
+	// Mirror dnd_spells_prose_test's TestSpellDescriptionsAreJargonFree:
+	// substring matches for jargon, regex for the SRD-importer placeholder
+	// signature ("Whatever " + lowercase, distinct from legit contractions).
+	bannedSubstrings := []string{
+		"saving throw", "Saving Throw",
+		"spell slot of", "Spell Slot of",
+		"ability modifier", "Ability Modifier",
+		"hit points equal to",
+	}
+	bannedRegexes := []*regexp.Regexp{
+		regexp.MustCompile(`\bd(4|6|8|10|12|20|100)\b`),
+		regexp.MustCompile(`\b\d+d\d+\b`),
+		regexp.MustCompile(`\bWhatever [a-z]`),       // placeholder signature
+		regexp.MustCompile(`(?:\.\.\.|…)\s*$`),       // trailing ellipsis
+		regexp.MustCompile(`\b[a-z]{1,3}(?:\.\.\.|…)\s*$`), // truncated word
+		regexp.MustCompile(`(?i)\bno larger than in any\b`),
+	}
+	totalSpells := 0
+	leaks := 0
+	for id, s := range dndSpellRegistry {
+		totalSpells++
+		desc := s.Description
+		if desc == "" {
+			continue
+		}
+		for _, b := range bannedSubstrings {
+			if strings.Contains(desc, b) {
+				t.Errorf("spell %q leaks banned phrase %q: %q", id, b, desc)
+				leaks++
+			}
+		}
+		for _, re := range bannedRegexes {
+			if re.MatchString(desc) {
+				t.Errorf("spell %q matches banned pattern %v: %q", id, re, desc)
+				leaks++
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	t.Logf("scanned %d spells; %d jargon leaks", totalSpells, leaks)
+}