Lice

A head infestation of biting lice that makes the wearer's scalp a hazard zone. Lice inflicts the Bruise status on the equipped cat as a constant downside, but the SpawnThingOnDamage passive deposits lice onto any enemy that deals damage to the wearer — spreading the infestation outward with each hit. The Bruise is a meaningful cost, but cats who absorb many hits per fight can rapidly infest enemy formations through repeated contact, making Lice a head-slot equivalent of Scabies.

Bruise on the wearer applies a persistent debuff that weakens the cat's own combat effectiveness — details vary but typically involves reduced defense or added vulnerability. The SpawnThingOnDamage trigger is the offsetting mechanic: each time the wearer is struck in melee or at range, lice propagate onto the attacker, stacking up across a fight. In encounters with many enemies attacking the lice-bearer, the battlefield rapidly fills with the infestation.

Best on durable tanking cats who can absorb many hits per fight. Pair Lice with other defensive pieces like Sacculina Carcini or Amoeba to maintain survivability under the Bruise debuff. The ideal Lice-bearer is positioned as the team's primary target magnet — a high-HP, high-armor cat who willingly absorbs attacks while systematically infesting everything that hits them.