diff --git a/scripts/count_visual_images.py b/scripts/count_visual_images.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..97cef55
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/count_visual_images.py
@@ -0,0 +1,114 @@
+"""Count base images and image variants declared by Ghostlight visual plans."""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import argparse
+import json
+from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Any
+
+
+ROOT = Path(__file__).resolve().parents[1]
+DEFAULT_VISUAL_GLOB = "examples/visual/*.visual.json"
+
+
+def load_json(path: Path) -> dict[str, Any]:
+    return json.loads(path.read_text(encoding="utf-8"))
+
+
+def plural(count: int, singular: str, plural_form: str | None = None) -> str:
+    return f"{count} {singular if count == 1 else (plural_form or singular + 's')}"
+
+
+def count_visual_plan(path: Path) -> dict[str, Any]:
+    data = load_json(path)
+    scene_plan = data.get("visual_scene_plan", {})
+    scenes = scene_plan.get("scenes", [])
+    global_branch_modifiers = scene_plan.get("global_branch_image_modifiers", [])
+    legacy_modifiers = data.get("visual_art_direction", {}).get("modification_prompts", [])
+
+    scene_variant_counts = []
+    for scene in scenes:
+        modifiers = scene.get("state_image_modifiers", [])
+        scene_variant_counts.append(
+            {
+                "visual_scene_id": scene.get("visual_scene_id", "<missing>"),
+                "ink_anchor": scene.get("ink_anchor", "<missing>"),
+                "base_images": 1,
+                "scene_variants": len(modifiers),
+            }
+        )
+
+    base_images = len(scenes)
+    scene_variants = sum(item["scene_variants"] for item in scene_variant_counts)
+    global_variants = len(global_branch_modifiers)
+    legacy_variants = len(legacy_modifiers)
+
+    return {
+        "path": path,
+        "visual_plan_id": data.get("visual_plan_id", path.stem),
+        "base_images": base_images,
+        "scene_variants": scene_variants,
+        "global_branch_variants": global_variants,
+        "legacy_summary_variants": legacy_variants,
+        "total_variants": scene_variants + global_variants + legacy_variants,
+        "max_exhaustive_renders": base_images + scene_variants + global_variants + legacy_variants,
+        "scene_variant_counts": scene_variant_counts,
+    }
+
+
+def format_report(results: list[dict[str, Any]], verbose: bool) -> str:
+    lines: list[str] = []
+    total_base = sum(item["base_images"] for item in results)
+    total_scene_variants = sum(item["scene_variants"] for item in results)
+    total_global_variants = sum(item["global_branch_variants"] for item in results)
+    total_legacy_variants = sum(item["legacy_summary_variants"] for item in results)
+    total_variants = total_scene_variants + total_global_variants + total_legacy_variants
+
+    lines.append("Ghostlight visual image inventory")
+    lines.append("")
+    for item in results:
+        lines.append(f"- {item['path'].as_posix()}")
+        lines.append(f"  visual_plan_id: {item['visual_plan_id']}")
+        lines.append(f"  base images: {item['base_images']}")
+        lines.append(f"  variants: {item['total_variants']}")
+        lines.append(f"    scene-local variants: {item['scene_variants']}")
+        lines.append(f"    global branch variants: {item['global_branch_variants']}")
+        lines.append(f"    legacy summary variants: {item['legacy_summary_variants']}")
+        lines.append(f"  max exhaustive renders: {item['max_exhaustive_renders']}")
+        if verbose:
+            lines.append("  scene breakdown:")
+            for scene in item["scene_variant_counts"]:
+                lines.append(
+                    f"    - {scene['visual_scene_id']} ({scene['ink_anchor']}): "
+                    f"{plural(scene['scene_variants'], 'variant')}"
+                )
+        lines.append("")
+
+    lines.append("Totals")
+    lines.append(f"- base images: {total_base}")
+    lines.append(f"- variants: {total_variants}")
+    lines.append(f"  scene-local variants: {total_scene_variants}")
+    lines.append(f"  global branch variants: {total_global_variants}")
+    lines.append(f"  legacy summary variants: {total_legacy_variants}")
+    lines.append(f"- max exhaustive renders: {total_base + total_variants}")
+    return "\n".join(lines)
+
+
+def main() -> int:
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=__doc__)
+    parser.add_argument("paths", nargs="*", type=Path, help="Visual plan JSON files to count.")
+    parser.add_argument("--verbose", "-v", action="store_true", help="Print per-scene variant counts.")
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    paths = args.paths or sorted(ROOT.glob(DEFAULT_VISUAL_GLOB))
+    if not paths:
+        raise SystemExit(f"No visual plans found with {DEFAULT_VISUAL_GLOB}")
+
+    results = [count_visual_plan(path if path.is_absolute() else ROOT / path) for path in paths]
+    print(format_report(results, verbose=args.verbose))
+    return 0
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    raise SystemExit(main())