diff --git a/scripts/modtools/reaction-trigger-transition.lua b/scripts/modtools/reaction-trigger-transition.lua
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7193d2d0c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/modtools/reaction-trigger-transition.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,137 @@
+-- reaction-trigger-transition.lua
+-- author expwnent
+-- prints useful things to the console and a file to help modders transition from autoSyndrome to reaction-trigger
+-- this script is basically an apology for breaking backward compatibiility
+
+local function maybeQuote(str)
+ if str == '' or string.find(str,' ') then
+  return ('"' .. str .. '"')
+ else
+  return str
+ end
+end
+
+warnings = ''
+output = ''
+for _,reaction in ipairs(df.global.world.raws.reactions) do
+ local function foreachProduct(product)
+  local prodType = product:getType()
+  if prodType ~= df.reaction_product_type.item then
+   return
+  end
+  if product.item_type ~= df.item_type.BOULDER then
+   return
+  end
+  if product.mat_index < 0 then
+   return
+  end
+  local inorganic = df.global.world.raws.inorganics[product.mat_index]
+  local didInorganicName
+  for _,syndrome in ipairs(inorganic.material.syndrome) do
+   local workerOnly = true
+   local allowMultipleTargets = false;
+   local command
+   local commandStr
+   local destroyRock = true;
+   local foundAutoSyndrome = false;
+   local resetPolicy;
+   for i,synclass in ipairs(syndrome.syn_class) do
+    synclass = synclass.value
+    if false then
+    elseif synclass == '\\AUTO_SYNDROME' then
+     foundAutoSyndrome = true
+    elseif synclass == '\\ALLOW_NONWORKER_TARGETS' then
+     workerOnly = false
+    elseif synclass == '\\ALLOW_MULTIPLE_TARGETS' then
+     allowMultipleTargets = true
+    elseif synclass == '\\PRESERVE_ROCK' then
+     destroyRock = false
+    elseif synclass == '\\RESET_POLICY DoNothing' then
+     resetPolicy = 'DoNothing'
+    elseif synclass == '\\RESET_POLICY ResetDuration' then
+     resetPolicy = 'ResetDuration'
+    elseif synclass == '\\RESET_POLICY AddDuration' then
+     resetPolicy = 'AddDuration'
+    elseif synclass == '\\RESET_POLICY NewInstance' then
+     resetPolicy = 'NewInstance'
+    elseif synclass == '\\COMMAND' then
+     command = ''
+    elseif command then
+     if synclass == '\\LOCATION' then
+      command = command .. '\\LOCATION '
+     elseif synclass == '\\WORKER_ID' then
+      command = command .. '\\WORKER_ID '
+     elseif synclass == '\\REACTION_INDEX' then
+      warnings = warnings .. ('Warning: \\REACTION_INDEX is deprecated. Use \\REACTION_NAME instead.\n')
+      command = command .. '\\REACTION_NAME '
+     else
+      commandStr = true
+      command = command .. maybeQuote(synclass) .. ' '
+     end
+    end
+   end
+   if foundAutoSyndrome then
+    if destroyRock then
+     warnings = warnings .. ('Warning: instead of destroying the rock, do not produce it in the first place.\n')
+    end
+    if workerOnly then
+     workerOnly = 'true'
+    else
+     workerOnly = 'false'
+    end
+    if allowMultipleTargets then
+     allowMultipleTargets = 'true'
+    else
+     allowMultipleTargets = 'false'
+    end
+    local reactionTriggerStr = 'modtools/reaction-trigger -reactionName ' .. maybeQuote(reaction.code) --.. '"'
+    if workerOnly ~= 'true' then
+     reactionTriggerStr = reactionTriggerStr .. ' -workerOnly ' .. workerOnly
+    end
+    if allowMultipleTargets ~= 'false' then
+     reactionTriggerStr = reactionTriggerStr .. ' -allowMultipleTargets ' .. allowMultipleTargets
+    end
+    if resetPolicy and resetPolicy ~= 'NewInstance' then
+     reactionTriggerStr = reactionTriggerStr .. ' -resetPolicy ' .. resetPolicy
+    end
+    if #syndrome.ce > 0 then
+     if syndrome.syn_name == '' then
+      warnings = warnings .. ('Warning: give this syndrome a name!\n')
+     end
+     reactionTriggerStr = reactionTriggerStr .. ' -syndrome ' .. maybeQuote(syndrome.syn_name) .. ''
+    end
+    if command and commandStr then
+     reactionTriggerStr = reactionTriggerStr .. ' -command ' .. command
+    end
+    if (not command or command == '') and (not syndrome.syn_name or syndrome.syn_name == '') then
+     --output = output .. '#'
+    else
+     if not didInorganicName then
+--      output = output .. '# ' .. (inorganic.id) .. '\n'
+      didInorganicName = true
+     end
+     output = output .. (reactionTriggerStr) .. '\n'
+    end
+   end
+  end
+ end
+ for _,product in ipairs(reaction.products) do
+  foreachProduct(product)
+ end
+end
+
+print(warnings)
+print('\n\n\n\n')
+print(output)
+local file = io.open('reaction-trigger-transition.txt', 'w+')
+--io.output(file)
+--file:write(warnings)
+--file:write('\n\n\n\n')
+file:write(output)
+file:flush()
+--io.flush(file)
+io.close(file)
+--io.output()
+print('transition information written to reaction-trigger-transition.txt')
+
+
diff --git a/scripts/modtools/reaction-trigger.lua b/scripts/modtools/reaction-trigger.lua
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3fb64e168
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/modtools/reaction-trigger.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,211 @@
+-- reaction-trigger.lua
+-- author expwnent
+-- replaces autoSyndrome: trigger commands when custom reactions are completed
+
+local eventful = require 'plugins.eventful'
+local syndromeUtil = require 'syndromeUtil'
+
+reactionHooks = reactionHooks or {}
+
+local function getWorkerAndBuilding(job)
+ local workerId = -1
+ local buildingId = -1
+ for _,generalRef in ipairs(job.general_refs) do
+  if generalRef:getType() == df.general_ref_type.UNIT_WORKER then
+   if workerId ~= -1 then
+    print(job)
+    printall(job)
+    error('reaction-trigger: two workers on same job: ' .. workerId .. ', ' .. generalRef.unit_id)
+   else
+    workerId = generalRef.unit_id
+    if workerId == -1 then
+     print(job)
+     printall(job)
+     error('reaction-trigger: invalid worker')
+    end
+   end
+  elseif generalRef:getType() == df.general_ref_type.BUILDING_HOLDER then
+   if buildingId ~= -1 then
+    print(job)
+    printall(job)
+    error('reaction-trigger: two buildings same job: ' .. buildingId .. ', ' .. generalRef.building_id)
+   else
+    buildingId = generalRef.building_id
+    if buildingId == -1 then
+     print(job)
+     printall(job)
+     error('reaction-trigger: invalid building')
+    end
+   end
+  end
+ end
+ return workerId,buildingId
+end
+
+local function processCommand(job, worker, target, building, command)
+ local result = {}
+ for _,arg in ipairs(command) do
+  if arg == '\\WORKER_ID' then
+   table.insert(result,''..worker.id)
+  elseif arg == '\\TARGET_ID' then
+   table.insert(restul,''..target.id)
+  elseif arg == '\\BUILDING_ID' then
+   table.insert(result,''..building.id)
+  elseif arg == '\\LOCATION' then
+   table.insert(result,''..job.pos.x)
+   table.insert(result,''..job.pos.y)
+   table.insert(result,''..job.pos.z)
+  elseif arg == '\\REACTION_NAME' then
+   table.insert(result,''..job.reaction_name)
+  else
+   table.insert(result,arg)
+  end
+ end
+ return result
+end
+
+eventful.onJobCompleted.reactionTrigger = function(job)
+ if job.completion_timer > 0 then
+  return
+ end
+ 
+-- if job.job_type ~= df.job_type.CustomReaction then
+--  --TODO: support builtin reaction triggers if someone asks
+--  return
+-- end
+ 
+ if not job.reaction_name or job.reaction_name == '' then
+  return
+ end
+-- print('reaction name: ' .. job.reaction_name)
+ if not job.reaction_name or not reactionHooks[job.reaction_name] then
+  return
+ end
+ 
+ local worker,building = getWorkerAndBuilding(job)
+ worker = df.unit.find(worker)
+ building = df.building.find(building)
+ if not worker or not building then
+  --this probably means that it finished before EventManager could get a copy of the job while the job was running
+  --TODO: consider printing a warning once
+  return
+ end
+ 
+ local function doAction(action)
+  local didSomething
+  if action.args then
+   local processed = processCommand(job, worker, worker, building, action.args)
+   print(dfhack.run_command(table.unpack(processed)))
+  end
+  if action.syndrome then
+   didSomething = syndromeUtil.infectWithSyndromeIfValidTarget(worker, action.syndrome, action.resetPolicy) or didSomething
+  end
+  if action.workerOnly then
+   return
+  end
+  if didSomething and not action.allowMultipleTargets then
+   return
+  end
+  local function foreach(unit)
+   if unit == worker then
+    return false
+   elseif unit.pos.z ~= building.z then
+    return false
+   elseif unit.pos.x < building.x1 or unit.pos.x > building.x2 then
+    return false
+   elseif unit.pos.y < building.y1 or unit.pos.y > building.y2 then
+    return false
+   else
+    if action.args then
+     processCommand(job, worker, unit, building, action.args)
+    end
+    if action.syndrome then
+     didSomething = syndrome.infectWithSyndromeIfValidTarget(unit,action.syndrome,action.resetPolicy) or didSomething
+    end
+    if didSomething and not action.allowMultipleTargets then
+     return true
+    end
+    return false
+   end
+  end
+  for _,unit in ipairs(df.global.world.units.all) do
+   if foreach(unit) then
+    break
+   end
+  end
+ end
+ for _,action in ipairs(reactionHooks[job.reaction_name]) do
+  doAction(action)
+ end
+end
+
+eventful.enableEvent(eventful.eventType.JOB_COMPLETED,0)
+
+local args = {...}
+local i=1
+local reactionName
+local action = {}
+action.workerOnly = true
+action.allowMultipleTargets = false
+--action.args = {}
+--action.syndrome, action.resetPolicy, action.workerOnly, action.allowMultipleTargets, action.args
+while i <= #args do
+ if action.args then
+  table.insert(action.args, args[i])
+  i = i+1
+ else
+  if args[i] == '-clear' then
+   reactionHooks = {}
+   i = i+1
+  elseif args[i] == '-reactionName' then
+   reactionName = args[i+1]
+   i = i+2
+  elseif args[i] == '-syndrome' then
+   if action.syndrome then
+    error('only one syndrome at a time permitted')
+   end
+   for _,syndrome in ipairs(df.global.world.raws.syndromes.all) do
+    if syndrome.syn_name == args[i+1] then
+     action.syndrome = syndrome
+     break
+    end
+   end
+   if not action.syndrome then
+    error('could not find syndrome ' .. args[i+1])
+   end
+   i = i+2
+  elseif args[i] == '-workerOnly' then
+   action.workerOnly = args[i+1] == 'true'
+   i = i+2
+  elseif args[i] == '-allowMultipleTargets' then
+   action.allowMultipleTargets = args[i+1] == 'true'
+   i = i+2
+  elseif args[i] == '-command' then
+   action.args = {}
+   i = i+1
+  elseif args[i] == '-resetPolicy' then
+   action.resetPolicy = syndromeUtil.ResetPolicy[args[i+1]]
+   if not action.resetPolicy then
+    error('invalid reset policy: ' .. args[i+1])
+   end
+   i = i+2
+  else
+   error('invalid arguments')
+  end
+ end
+end
+
+if not reactionName then
+ return
+end
+
+if action.args then
+ print(action.args)
+ printall(action.args)
+end
+
+if not reactionHooks[reactionName] then
+ reactionHooks[reactionName] = {}
+end
+table.insert(reactionHooks[reactionName], action)
+