Brainstorming skill questions not forwarded to Telegram/Discord when using Claude Code Channels #923
Description
- I searched existing issues and this is not a duplicate
Environment
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Superpowers version | latest (/plugin update superpowers) |
| Harness (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.) | Claude Code |
| Harness version | v2.1.80+ (requires --channels support) |
| Model | claude-opus-4-6 |
| OS + shell | any |
Is this a Superpowers issue or a platform issue?
- I confirmed this issue does not occur without Superpowers installed
What happened?
When Claude Code is started with --channels and a session is initiated from Telegram (via the official telegram@claude-plugins-official plugin), the brainstorming skill's clarifying questions are only printed to the terminal — they are never sent back to the Telegram chat.
From the user's perspective in Telegram: the bot goes silent immediately after receiving the first message. The session is actually alive and waiting for answers in the terminal, but the user has no way to know that and no way to respond from Telegram.
This makes the brainstorming skill completely unusable when Claude Code is running headlessly or accessed remotely via Channels.
Steps to reproduce
- Install the Telegram channel plugin:
/plugin install telegram@claude-plugins-official - Install Superpowers:
/plugin install superpowers@superpowers-marketplace - Start Claude Code with channels:
claude --channels plugin:telegram@claude-plugins-official - Pair your Telegram account if not already done
- DM your bot something that triggers brainstorming, e.g. "let's build a new feature for my app"
- Watch the Telegram chat — no response arrives
- Switch to the terminal — the brainstorming skill has asked a clarifying question there
Expected behavior
Clarifying questions from the brainstorming skill should be sent back to the user through the same channel the session was initiated from, using the appropriate reply tool (e.g. telegram:reply). The full brainstorm back-and-forth should work over Telegram just like it does in the terminal.
Actual behavior
The brainstorming skill outputs questions as plain terminal text. Since Claude Code Channels only forwards messages back to Telegram/Discord when Claude explicitly calls the telegram:reply MCP tool — and the brainstorming skill never does this — the two-way loop is broken. The session stalls silently from the user's perspective.
Debug log or conversation transcript
Terminal (what the user never sees):
> let's build a new feature for my app
⏺ Using brainstorming skill to refine your idea before we write any code.
Let me start by understanding the project context...
[reads files]
Before we dive in — what's the core problem this feature is solving for
your users? Is it about saving time, reducing errors, or something else?
Telegram chat (what the user actually sees):
User: let's build a new feature for my app
[no reply — bot shows "typing..." briefly then nothing]
Root cause: The brainstorming skill (and likely other interactive skills like writing-plans) has no awareness of an active channel context. It assumes questions can be asked conversationally in the terminal. A fix would involve detecting a channel is active and routing each question through the appropriate reply tool before waiting for input — consistent with how other skills already adapt behavior per platform (e.g. writing-plans adjusting based on subagent support).