Microbial Magic

Sorry, in a rush. Will tidy this up and give it nice formatting later. Maybe even write a couple more spells.

## Kleptoplasty

(*Glaucus atlanticus*)
Devour the flesh of a creature, and gain a trait it possesses.

## Pilus

Casting Time: 1 action

Target: the caster

Duration: 6 turns, see text

(*Escherichia coli*)

The caster's body grows a needle-like spine, emerging from an appendage of their choosing. The caster can attack with it, dealing 1d6 damage. After 6 turns, the pilus sloughs off.

Each time Pilus is cast from a scroll or spellbook, there is a 2-in-6 chance it becomes _innate_ to the caster. A _potion of pilus_ always becomes innate.

Once _innate_, Pilus can be "cast" without preparation or available spell slots. It can even be "cast" in an area of antimagic, and is unaffected by *dispel magic*. Instead, the caster takes 1d6 damage, representing the metabolic resources to grow the pilus. This cannot reduce the caster below 1 hp; if they are already at 1 hp, they cannot cast Pilus.

Additionally, when Pilus becomes innate, the caster randomly selects a racial trait they possess, if any). Their _strain_ of Pilus becomes associated with that trait.

A living creature who survives an pilus attack will inherit the ability to innately cast Pilus after a delay of 1d6 hours.

* If the attacking pilus was of a particular _strain_, the creature inherits that strain and its associated trait. The trait only manifests when the creature innately casts that strain of Pilus.

* If the pilus had no _strain_, one of the creature's racial traits (chosen randomly) becomes associated, creating a new strain.

A creature can become transfected with multiple _strains_. Each time they innately cast Pilus, they choose which strain to express.

**Note:** Only biological traits can become associated with a Pilus _strain_. e.g. an Elf might pass on their immunity to ghoul paralysis, but not their proficiency with weapons & armour. The referee is the arbiter of which traits are biological and which are learned.

## Pyoverdine

(*Pseudomonas fluorescens*)

The caster secretes a glowing, iron-scavenging slime.

* The caster can produce enough slime to coat a number of 10 ft squares equal to their level. They do not need to secrete it all at once.

* The slime is harmless and no slipperier than water.

* Until it dries, the slime will readily wet any surface. A thin layer of slime dries within 1 turn, subject to ambient temperature and humidity.

* Slime that comes into contact with iron, steel, rust, or iron ore will bond with it (even after it dries) and stop glowing.

* A large area of slime sheds dim light out to 10 ft, enough to read by. The light is visible in pitch blackness from much further away.

* Until the spell expires, the caster can ingest slime, including any produced by

* The slime biodegrades after 3d6 days.

* Dry slime is difficult to clean. Fire, corrosive chemicals, iron filings or powdered ore will all remove it.