diff --git a/tools/editor/cli_arg_required.cpp b/tools/editor/cli_arg_required.cpp
index 7105cf4a..0113a71f 100644
--- a/tools/editor/cli_arg_required.cpp
+++ b/tools/editor/cli_arg_required.cpp
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ const char* const kArgRequired[] = {
     "--export-wlck-json", "--import-wlck-json",
     "--gen-skills", "--gen-skills-professions", "--gen-skills-weapons",
     "--info-wskl", "--validate-wskl",
+    "--export-wskl-json", "--import-wskl-json",
     "--gen-spells", "--gen-spells-mage", "--gen-spells-warrior",
     "--info-wspl", "--validate-wspl",
     "--gen-weather-temperate", "--gen-weather-arctic",
diff --git a/tools/editor/cli_help.cpp b/tools/editor/cli_help.cpp
index 7338efaa..6ae98c87 100644
--- a/tools/editor/cli_help.cpp
+++ b/tools/editor/cli_help.cpp
@@ -975,6 +975,10 @@ void printUsage(const char* argv0) {
     std::printf("                         Print WSKL entries (id / category / max rank / per-level grow / trainer-required / name)\n");
     std::printf("  --validate-wskl <wskl-base> [--json]\n");
     std::printf("                         Static checks: skillId>0+unique, name not empty, maxRank>0, weapon needs rankPerLevel>0\n");
+    std::printf("  --export-wskl-json <wskl-base> [out.json]\n");
+    std::printf("                         Export binary .wskl to a human-editable JSON sidecar (defaults to <base>.wskl.json)\n");
+    std::printf("  --import-wskl-json <json-path> [out-base]\n");
+    std::printf("                         Import a .wskl.json sidecar back into binary .wskl (accepts category int OR categoryName string)\n");
     std::printf("  --gen-spells <wspl-base> [name]\n");
     std::printf("                         Emit .wspl starter spell catalog: 4 spells covering damage / heal / buff / teleport effect kinds\n");
     std::printf("  --gen-spells-mage <wspl-base> [name]\n");
diff --git a/tools/editor/cli_skills_catalog.cpp b/tools/editor/cli_skills_catalog.cpp
index de4a17dd..b8efd6bb 100644
--- a/tools/editor/cli_skills_catalog.cpp
+++ b/tools/editor/cli_skills_catalog.cpp
@@ -121,6 +121,124 @@ int handleInfo(int& i, int argc, char** argv) {
     return 0;
 }
 
+int handleExportJson(int& i, int argc, char** argv) {
+    // Mirrors the JSON pairs added for every other novel
+    // open format. Each skill emits all 8 scalar fields plus
+    // dual int + name forms for categoryId.
+    std::string base = argv[++i];
+    std::string outPath;
+    if (parseOptArg(i, argc, argv)) outPath = argv[++i];
+    base = stripWsklExt(base);
+    if (outPath.empty()) outPath = base + ".wskl.json";
+    if (!wowee::pipeline::WoweeSkillLoader::exists(base)) {
+        std::fprintf(stderr,
+            "export-wskl-json: WSKL not found: %s.wskl\n", base.c_str());
+        return 1;
+    }
+    auto c = wowee::pipeline::WoweeSkillLoader::load(base);
+    nlohmann::json j;
+    j["name"] = c.name;
+    nlohmann::json arr = nlohmann::json::array();
+    for (const auto& e : c.entries) {
+        arr.push_back({
+            {"skillId", e.skillId},
+            {"name", e.name},
+            {"description", e.description},
+            {"categoryId", e.categoryId},
+            {"categoryName", wowee::pipeline::WoweeSkill::categoryName(e.categoryId)},
+            {"canTrain", e.canTrain},
+            {"maxRank", e.maxRank},
+            {"rankPerLevel", e.rankPerLevel},
+            {"iconPath", e.iconPath},
+        });
+    }
+    j["entries"] = arr;
+    std::ofstream out(outPath);
+    if (!out) {
+        std::fprintf(stderr,
+            "export-wskl-json: cannot write %s\n", outPath.c_str());
+        return 1;
+    }
+    out << j.dump(2) << "\n";
+    out.close();
+    std::printf("Wrote %s\n", outPath.c_str());
+    std::printf("  source : %s.wskl\n", base.c_str());
+    std::printf("  skills : %zu\n", c.entries.size());
+    return 0;
+}
+
+int handleImportJson(int& i, int argc, char** argv) {
+    std::string jsonPath = argv[++i];
+    std::string outBase;
+    if (parseOptArg(i, argc, argv)) outBase = argv[++i];
+    if (outBase.empty()) {
+        outBase = jsonPath;
+        std::string suffix = ".wskl.json";
+        if (outBase.size() > suffix.size() &&
+            outBase.substr(outBase.size() - suffix.size()) == suffix) {
+            outBase = outBase.substr(0, outBase.size() - suffix.size());
+        } else if (outBase.size() > 5 &&
+                   outBase.substr(outBase.size() - 5) == ".json") {
+            outBase = outBase.substr(0, outBase.size() - 5);
+        }
+    }
+    outBase = stripWsklExt(outBase);
+    std::ifstream in(jsonPath);
+    if (!in) {
+        std::fprintf(stderr,
+            "import-wskl-json: cannot read %s\n", jsonPath.c_str());
+        return 1;
+    }
+    nlohmann::json j;
+    try { in >> j; }
+    catch (const std::exception& e) {
+        std::fprintf(stderr,
+            "import-wskl-json: bad JSON in %s: %s\n",
+            jsonPath.c_str(), e.what());
+        return 1;
+    }
+    auto categoryFromName = [](const std::string& s) -> uint8_t {
+        if (s == "weapon")      return wowee::pipeline::WoweeSkill::Weapon;
+        if (s == "class")       return wowee::pipeline::WoweeSkill::Class;
+        if (s == "profession")  return wowee::pipeline::WoweeSkill::Profession;
+        if (s == "secondary")   return wowee::pipeline::WoweeSkill::SecondaryProfession;
+        if (s == "language")    return wowee::pipeline::WoweeSkill::Language;
+        if (s == "armor")       return wowee::pipeline::WoweeSkill::ArmorProficiency;
+        if (s == "riding")      return wowee::pipeline::WoweeSkill::Riding;
+        if (s == "weapon-spec") return wowee::pipeline::WoweeSkill::WeaponSpec;
+        return wowee::pipeline::WoweeSkill::Profession;
+    };
+    wowee::pipeline::WoweeSkill c;
+    c.name = j.value("name", std::string{});
+    if (j.contains("entries") && j["entries"].is_array()) {
+        for (const auto& je : j["entries"]) {
+            wowee::pipeline::WoweeSkill::Entry e;
+            e.skillId = je.value("skillId", 0u);
+            e.name = je.value("name", std::string{});
+            e.description = je.value("description", std::string{});
+            if (je.contains("categoryId") && je["categoryId"].is_number_integer()) {
+                e.categoryId = static_cast<uint8_t>(je["categoryId"].get<int>());
+            } else if (je.contains("categoryName") && je["categoryName"].is_string()) {
+                e.categoryId = categoryFromName(je["categoryName"].get<std::string>());
+            }
+            e.canTrain = static_cast<uint8_t>(je.value("canTrain", 1));
+            e.maxRank = static_cast<uint16_t>(je.value("maxRank", 300));
+            e.rankPerLevel = static_cast<uint16_t>(je.value("rankPerLevel", 0));
+            e.iconPath = je.value("iconPath", std::string{});
+            c.entries.push_back(std::move(e));
+        }
+    }
+    if (!wowee::pipeline::WoweeSkillLoader::save(c, outBase)) {
+        std::fprintf(stderr,
+            "import-wskl-json: failed to save %s.wskl\n", outBase.c_str());
+        return 1;
+    }
+    std::printf("Wrote %s.wskl\n", outBase.c_str());
+    std::printf("  source : %s\n", jsonPath.c_str());
+    std::printf("  skills : %zu\n", c.entries.size());
+    return 0;
+}
+
 int handleValidate(int& i, int argc, char** argv) {
     std::string base = argv[++i];
     bool jsonOut = consumeJsonFlag(i, argc, argv);
@@ -225,6 +343,12 @@ bool handleSkillsCatalog(int& i, int argc, char** argv, int& outRc) {
     if (std::strcmp(argv[i], "--validate-wskl") == 0 && i + 1 < argc) {
         outRc = handleValidate(i, argc, argv); return true;
     }
+    if (std::strcmp(argv[i], "--export-wskl-json") == 0 && i + 1 < argc) {
+        outRc = handleExportJson(i, argc, argv); return true;
+    }
+    if (std::strcmp(argv[i], "--import-wskl-json") == 0 && i + 1 < argc) {
+        outRc = handleImportJson(i, argc, argv); return true;
+    }
     return false;
 }