diff --git a/.claude/skills/render-sprite/SKILL.md b/.claude/skills/render-sprite/SKILL.md
index 95186ba03..b72fd4cec 100644
--- a/.claude/skills/render-sprite/SKILL.md
+++ b/.claude/skills/render-sprite/SKILL.md
@@ -6,8 +6,7 @@ description: >
   east, south, west) with outline applied at working resolution. Use when the
   user says "render sprite", "render model", "run the render pipeline",
   "test the pipeline", "/render-sprite", or asks to render a specific model
-  (e.g., "render wall_structural"). Output: 12 PNG files in
-  client/tooling/sprite_renderer/output/.
+  (e.g., "render wall_structural"). Output: 12 PNG files in renderer/output/.
 ---
 
 ## Render Pipeline
@@ -20,15 +19,15 @@ Run the render script with the model name:
 
 ### Available Models
 
-Models live at `client/tooling/sprite_renderer/models/<name>.tscn`. List them:
+Models live at `renderer/models/<name>.tscn`. List them:
 
 ```bash
-ls client/tooling/sprite_renderer/models/*.tscn | xargs -I{} basename {} .tscn
+ls renderer/models/*.tscn | xargs -I{} basename {} .tscn
 ```
 
 ### Output
 
-12 files per model in `client/tooling/sprite_renderer/output/`:
+12 files per model in `renderer/output/`:
 
 ```
 <model>_north_1024.png   <model>_north_256.png   <model>_north_64.png
@@ -46,11 +45,11 @@ ls client/tooling/sprite_renderer/models/*.tscn | xargs -I{} basename {} .tscn
 ### Troubleshooting
 
 - **No output files**: Godot needs a display. If running headless, prefix with `xvfb-run`.
-- **Model not found**: Check the model .tscn exists in `models/` directory.
+- **Model not found**: Check the model .tscn exists in `renderer/models/`.
 - **Godot not found**: Pass path as second arg: `render.sh wall_structural /path/to/godot`
 
 ### Adding New Models
 
-1. Create model scene at `client/tooling/sprite_renderer/models/<name>.tscn`
-2. Apply texture from `textures/` via StandardMaterial3D
+1. Create model scene at `renderer/models/<name>.tscn`
+2. Apply texture from `renderer/textures/` via StandardMaterial3D
 3. Run: `.claude/skills/render-sprite/scripts/render.sh <name>`
diff --git a/.claude/skills/render-sprite/scripts/render.sh b/.claude/skills/render-sprite/scripts/render.sh
index 5d785935f..f015c90ec 100755
--- a/.claude/skills/render-sprite/scripts/render.sh
+++ b/.claude/skills/render-sprite/scripts/render.sh
@@ -7,16 +7,16 @@ set -euo pipefail
 MODEL_NAME="${1:?Usage: render.sh <model_name> [godot_path]}"
 GODOT="${2:-$HOME/bin/godot}"
 REPO_ROOT="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")" && git rev-parse --show-toplevel)"
-PROJECT="$REPO_ROOT/client"
-SCENE="res://tooling/sprite_renderer/render_scene.tscn"
-OUTPUT="$PROJECT/tooling/sprite_renderer/output"
+PROJECT="$REPO_ROOT/renderer"
+SCENE="res://render_scene.tscn"
+OUTPUT="$PROJECT/output"
 
 # Verify model exists
-MODEL_FILE="$PROJECT/tooling/sprite_renderer/models/${MODEL_NAME}.tscn"
+MODEL_FILE="$PROJECT/models/${MODEL_NAME}.tscn"
 if [ ! -f "$MODEL_FILE" ]; then
     echo "ERROR: Model not found: $MODEL_FILE"
     echo "Available models:"
-    ls "$PROJECT/tooling/sprite_renderer/models/"*.tscn 2>/dev/null | xargs -I{} basename {} .tscn
+    ls "$PROJECT/models/"*.tscn 2>/dev/null | xargs -I{} basename {} .tscn
     exit 1
 fi
 
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 2cbe232e8..b275bf765 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -8,7 +8,12 @@ client/export/
 client/reports/
 client/**/*.import
 client/**/*.uid
-client/tooling/sprite_renderer/output/*.png
+
+# Renderer (separate Godot project for sprite pipeline)
+renderer/.godot/
+renderer/**/*.import
+renderer/**/*.uid
+renderer/output/*.png
 
 # Database (shared across worktrees at ../settledreach.db, not tracked)
 db/commonwealth.db*
diff --git a/client/tooling/sprite_renderer/models/wall_bar_green.tscn b/renderer/models/wall_bar_green.tscn
similarity index 77%
rename from client/tooling/sprite_renderer/models/wall_bar_green.tscn
rename to renderer/models/wall_bar_green.tscn
index 19c401ffa..403726ce5 100644
--- a/client/tooling/sprite_renderer/models/wall_bar_green.tscn
+++ b/renderer/models/wall_bar_green.tscn
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [gd_scene load_steps=3 format=3]
 
-[ext_resource type="Texture2D" path="res://tooling/sprite_renderer/textures/wall_bar_green_panels.png" id="1_wall_texture"]
+[ext_resource type="Texture2D" path="res://textures/wall_bar_green_panels.png" id="1_wall_texture"]
 
 [sub_resource type="BoxMesh" id="BoxMesh_wall"]
 size = Vector3(1.0, 0.8, 0.2)
diff --git a/client/tooling/sprite_renderer/models/wall_structural.tscn b/renderer/models/wall_structural.tscn
similarity index 74%
rename from client/tooling/sprite_renderer/models/wall_structural.tscn
rename to renderer/models/wall_structural.tscn
index 75bcb0386..50796df45 100644
--- a/client/tooling/sprite_renderer/models/wall_structural.tscn
+++ b/renderer/models/wall_structural.tscn
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [gd_scene load_steps=3 format=3 uid="uid://cyh0xf1nv2j3e"]
 
-[ext_resource type="Texture2D" uid="uid://bgn5kvwjdqrx0" path="res://tooling/sprite_renderer/textures/wall_institutional_era1.png" id="1_wall_texture"]
+[ext_resource type="Texture2D" path="res://textures/wall_institutional_era1.png" id="1_wall_texture"]
 
 [sub_resource type="BoxMesh" id="BoxMesh_wall"]
 size = Vector3(1.0, 0.8, 0.2)
diff --git a/client/tooling/sprite_renderer/output/.gdignore b/renderer/output/.gdignore
similarity index 100%
rename from client/tooling/sprite_renderer/output/.gdignore
rename to renderer/output/.gdignore
diff --git a/renderer/project.godot b/renderer/project.godot
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b4fd3e685
--- /dev/null
+++ b/renderer/project.godot
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+; Sprite Renderer — standalone Godot project for 3D-to-2D sprite pipeline.
+; No game logic, no autoloads, no plugins. Just rendering.
+
+config_version=5
+
+[application]
+
+config/name="Settled Reach Sprite Renderer"
+config/features=PackedStringArray("4.6", "GL Compatibility")
+
+[rendering]
+
+renderer/rendering_method="gl_compatibility"
+renderer/rendering_method.mobile="gl_compatibility"
diff --git a/client/tooling/sprite_renderer/render_export.gd b/renderer/render_export.gd
similarity index 95%
rename from client/tooling/sprite_renderer/render_export.gd
rename to renderer/render_export.gd
index 50b21079c..489da64b2 100644
--- a/client/tooling/sprite_renderer/render_export.gd
+++ b/renderer/render_export.gd
@@ -24,12 +24,12 @@ const ROTATIONS: PackedFloat64Array = [0.0, 90.0, 180.0, 270.0]
 func _ready() -> void:
 	if Engine.is_editor_hint():
 		return
-	# CLI mode: godot --path client/ res://tooling/sprite_renderer/render_scene.tscn -- wall_structural
+	# CLI mode: godot --path client/ res://render_scene.tscn -- wall_structural
 	var args := OS.get_cmdline_user_args()
 	if args.size() == 0:
 		return
 	var model_name := args[0]
-	var model_path := "res://tooling/sprite_renderer/models/%s.tscn" % model_name
+	var model_path := "res://models/%s.tscn" % model_name
 	if not ResourceLoader.exists(model_path):
 		push_error("Model not found: %s" % model_path)
 		get_tree().quit(1)
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ func _execute_render() -> void:
 	model_root.add_child(model_instance)
 
 	# Ensure output directory exists
-	var output_dir := "res://tooling/sprite_renderer/output"
+	var output_dir := "res://output"
 	if not DirAccess.dir_exists_absolute(output_dir):
 		DirAccess.make_dir_recursive_absolute(output_dir)
 
diff --git a/client/tooling/sprite_renderer/render_scene.tscn b/renderer/render_scene.tscn
similarity index 88%
rename from client/tooling/sprite_renderer/render_scene.tscn
rename to renderer/render_scene.tscn
index 1ca4908d0..de53c654d 100644
--- a/client/tooling/sprite_renderer/render_scene.tscn
+++ b/renderer/render_scene.tscn
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [gd_scene load_steps=2 format=3 uid="uid://cqvfv4uhbgq6h"]
 
-[ext_resource type="Script" path="res://tooling/sprite_renderer/render_export.gd" id="1_render_script"]
+[ext_resource type="Script" path="res://render_export.gd" id="1_render_script"]
 
 [node name="RenderScene" type="Node3D"]
 script = ExtResource("1_render_script")
diff --git a/client/tooling/sprite_renderer/textures/wall_bar_green_panels.png b/renderer/textures/wall_bar_green_panels.png
similarity index 100%
rename from client/tooling/sprite_renderer/textures/wall_bar_green_panels.png
rename to renderer/textures/wall_bar_green_panels.png
diff --git a/client/tooling/sprite_renderer/textures/wall_institutional_era1.png b/renderer/textures/wall_institutional_era1.png
similarity index 100%
rename from client/tooling/sprite_renderer/textures/wall_institutional_era1.png
rename to renderer/textures/wall_institutional_era1.png