Dead by Daylight: Survivor Classes Guide

Auras can be seen through any obstacles and usually across large distances. Aura-reading abilities are great for locating Allies, Enemies or Objectives.

Bond
Unlocks potential in your Aura-reading ability:

• The Auras of all other Survivors within 20/28/36 metres of your location are revealed to you.

“We have to work as a team, I need you to survive so that I can survive!” — Dwight Fairfield

Kindred
Unlocks potential in your Aura-reading ability:
While you are hooked:

• The Auras of all Survivors are revealed to one another.
• Whenever the Killer is within 8/12/16 metres of your Hook, their Aura is revealed to all Survivors.

While any other Survivor is hooked:

• The Auras of all other Survivors are revealed to you.
• Whenever the Killer is within 8/12/16 metres of the hooked Survivor, their Aura is revealed to you.

“Be kind to one another, We’re all in this together” — Sujan, The Lost Tapes

Open-Handed
Strengthens the potential in your and your team’s Aura-reading abilities.
Open-Handed increases all Aura-reading ranges by 8/12/16 metres.
Open-Handed does not stack with other instances of itself.
“Paying attention is what kept me alive through the years. That, and my good looks of course.” — Ace Visconti

Window of Opportunity
Unlocks potential in your Aura-reading ability.
The Auras of Breakable Walls, Pallets, and Windows are revealed to you within 24/28/32 metres.
“Rise and shine, work hard, carve out your name,
Take aim, pull the trigger, hit the bulls eye for fame,
Know the value of faith, an’ family, and don’t you complain,
Open wide, your windows of opportunity” — Kate Denson’s “Windows of Opportunity”

Bond is a Unique Perk belonging to Dwight Fairfield.
Open-Handed is a Unique Perk belonging to Ace Visconti.
Windows of Opportunity is a Unique Perk belonging to Kate Denson.

Blessing a Dull or Hex Totem will imbue it with the powers of the Boon Perks, and additionally in the case of a Hex Totem, dispel its Curse permanently.

Boon: Circle of Healing
A Boon that offers comfort amidst the terror.
Press and hold the Active Ability button near a Dull or Hex Totem to bless it and create a Boon Totem.
Soft chimes ring out within a radius of 24 metres.
Survivors inside the Boon Totem’s range benefit from the following effects:

• Increases all Healing speeds by 40/45/50 %.
• Unlocks the Self-Care ability, allowing you to self-heal without needing a Med-Kit at 50 % of the normal Healing speed.

Boon: Circle of Healing benefits from its own effect.
Boon: Circle of Healing does not stack with other instances of itself.
You can only bless one Totem at a time.
All equipped Boon Perks are active on the same Boon Totem.
“Try this, it is better than anything you’ll find in a pharmacy.” — Mikaela Reid

Boon: Dark Theory
Your obsessive study of the paranormal has given you unprecedented knowledge of other Realms and planes of existence.
Press and hold the Active Ability button near a Dull or Hex Totem to bless it and create a Boon Totem.
Soft chimes ring out within a radius of 24 metres.
Survivors inside the Boon Totem’s range benefit from the following effects:

• 2 % Haste Status Effect.
• This effect lingers for 2/3/4 seconds after leaving the Boon Totem’s range.

You can only bless one Totem at a time.
All equipped Boon Perks are active on the same Boon Totem.

Boon: Exponential
When it seems like your number is up, you consider ways to recalculate the odds.
Press and hold the Active Ability button near a Dull or Hex Totem to bless it and create a Boon Totem.
Soft chimes ring out within a radius of 24 metres.
Survivors inside the Boon Totem’s range benefit from the following effects:

• 90/95/100 % bonus to the Recovery speed.
• Unlocks the Self-Recovery ability, allowing you to fully recover from the Dying State.

You can only bless one Totem at a time.
All equipped Boon Perks are active on the same Boon Totem.
“It is not our time to die… probably.” — Jonah Vasquez

Boon: Shadow Step
A Boon that conceals the truth.
Press and hold the Active Ability button near a Dull or Hex Totem to bless it and create a Boon Totem.
Soft chimes ring out within a radius of 24 metres.
Survivors inside the Boon Totem’s range benefit from the following effects:

• Scratch Marks are suppressed.
• Auras are hidden from The Killer.
• Both effects linger for 2/3/4 seconds after leaving the Boon Totem’s range.

You can only bless one Totem at a time.
All equipped Boon Perks are active on the same Boon Totem.
“Stick to the shadows and cover your tracks.” — Mikaela Reid

Boon: Circle of Healing is a Unique Perk belonging to Mikaela Reid.
Boon: Dark Theory is a Unique Perk belonging to Yoichi Asakawa.
Boon: Exponential is a Unique Perk belonging to Jonah Vasquez.
Boon: Shadow Step is a Unique Perk belonging to Mikaela Reid.

Loud Noise Notifications are a mechanic unique to Killers, alerting them to Survivors rushing actions.

Deception
Your adventurous lifestyle requires moments of crafty misdirection.
Interact with a Locker while holding the Sprint button to trigger a Loud Noise Notification for the killer at your location instead of entering the Locker.

• You will not leave any Scratch Marks or Pools of Blood for the next 3 seconds.

Deception can only be triggered once every 60/50/40 seconds.

Distortion
You start the trial with 3 Tokens.
Whenever the Killer attempts to read your Aura, Distortion activates and 1 Token is consumed:

• Your Aura will not be shown to the Killer and you will not leave any Scratch Marks for the next 6/8/10 seconds.

Every 30 seconds you are within the Killer’s Terror Radius, Distortion gains back 1 Token.
Distortion does not activate when you are in the Dying State.
Distortion cannot accumulate more Tokens than its initial count.
“Death Fooled by the Cloak of Falcon Feathers.
Sketch inspired by a few sleepless nights during winter. Exploration of Norse mythology: bravery can conceal your flaws, even when you are at your most vulnerable.” — Jeff, pencil on tone paper, 12×12

Diversion
Activate-able Perk.
Standing within the Killer’s Terror Radius while not in a Chase for 40/35/30 seconds activates Diversion.
Once Diversion is activated, press the Active Ability button while crouched and motionless to throw a pebble, creating a distraction for the Killer at a distance of 20 metres.
The distraction consists of the following:

• A Loud Noise Notification.
• Scratch Marks

Diversion’s timer resets once the ability has been activated.
“There’s what is easy and then there’s what is right. If you confuse the two, there’s no telling what you become.” — Adam Francis

Red Herring
You have noticed that people pay attention to whatever makes the loudest noise.
After repairing a Generator for at least 3 seconds, its Aura is highlighted to you in yellow.

• The Generator stays highlighted until it is either fully repaired, you start repairing another Generator, or enter a Locker.
• Entering a Locker will trigger a Loud Noise Notification for the Killer at the highlighted Generator’s location.

Red Herring has a cool-down of 60/50/40 seconds.
“The news edit out what is burdensome and complex. which is the truth.” — Zarina Kassir

Deception is a Unique Perk belonging to Élodie Rakoto.
Distortion is a Unique Perk belonging to Jeff Johansen.
Diversion is a Unique Perk belonging to Adam Francis.
Red Herring is a Unique Perk belonging to Zarina Kassir.

In order to blind a Killer, the Flashlight must be aimed at the general area of the Killer’s head, usually slightly below, as that is where their camera is located.
As soon as the aim is correct, the Blinding process starts and increasingly fills the Killer’s Field of View with the aforementioned Blindness overlay.

Built to Last
You know how to get the most out of your tools.
Hiding inside a Locker for 14/13/12 seconds while carrying a depleted Item will replenish its Charges to 99 %.
Each use of Built to Last reduces this percentage by -33 %.
“Architecture is the soul of civilization.” — Felix Richter

Parental Guidance
You have inherited the ability to hear the dead — and now the dead warn you of danger.

• After stunning the Killer by any means, Parental Guidance suppresses your Scratch Marks, Pools of Blood, and Grunts of Pain for the next 5/6/7 seconds.

Residual Manifest
A lifetime of chasing the darkness has taught you that the best disinfectant is light.

• After a successful Killer Blind, the Killer suffers from the Blindness Status Effect for 20/25/30 seconds.
• Residual Manifest grants the ability to rummage through an opened Chest once per Trial and will guarantee a basic Flashlight.

“I’ll never see what Haddie sees. But so long as I’m with her, I know I’m safe.” — Jordan Rois, Ravages of the Abyss Episode 5

Streetwise
Long nights out taught you to do a lot with what you have got.

• Increases the Efficiency of your Items by 15/20/25 %.

Streetwise extends its effect to all other Survivors within 8 metres of your location and lingers for 15 seconds.
“You are doing it wrong! Let me show you how it is done.” — Nea Karlsson

Built to Last is a Unique Perk belonging to Felix Richter.
Parental Guidance is a Unique Perk belonging to Yoichi Asakawa.
Residual Manifest is a Unique Perk belonging to Haddie Kaur.
Streetwise is a Unique Perk belonging to Nea Karlsson.

Generators are an interact-able Prop and the main Objectives of Survivors.

Corrective Action
You quickly analyse problems and correct others’ work when they make a mistake.
You start the Trial with 1/2/3 Token(s) and gain a Token each time you succeed at a Great Skill Check, up to a maximum of 5 Tokens.

• Each time another Survivor cooperating with you fails a Skill Check, Corrective Action consumes 1 Token, transforming their Failed Skill Check into Good Skill Check instead.

Corrective Action only applies to normal Skill Checks.
“Cannot hurt to have another set of eyes on the problem.” — Jonah Vasquez

Hyperfocus
You throw yourself entirely into your tasks and find ways to be more efficient than anyone else.
After hitting a Great Skill Check while repairing or healing, Hyperfocus gains 1 Token, up to a maximum of 6 Tokens
For each Token, the following stack-able effects are applied:

• Increases the Skill Check Trigger odds by +4 % per Token.
• Increases the Skill Check Rotation speed by +4 % per Token.
• Increases the Skill Check Bonus progression by 10/20/30 % of its base value per Token.

Hyperfocus loses all Tokens when succeeding a Good Skill Check, failing a Skill Check, or if the action is interrupted by any means.

Prove Thyself

• Increases your Repair speed by +15 % for each other Survivor within 4 metres of your location, up to a maximum of +45 %.
• This effect is also applied to all other Survivors within that range.
• Grants 50/75/100 % bonus Bloodpoints for Co-operative actions.

Prove Thyself does not stack with other instances of itself.
“Show me what you can do!” — Dwight Fairfield

Technician
You are apt at handling machinery with the greatest care and precision.
Failing a Skill Check while repairing:

• Prevents the Generator Explosion.
• Applies the default Regression penalty.
• Applies an additional Regression penalty of 5/4/3 %.

Technician reduces the audible range of your Generator-repairing noises by 8 metres.
“I am gonna stealth this one.” — Feng Min

Corrective Action is a Unique Perk belonging to Jonah Vasquez.
Hyperfocus is a Unique Perk belonging to Rebecca Chambers.
Prove Thyself is a Unique Perk belonging to Dwight Fairfield.
Technician is a Unique Perk belonging to Feng Min.

Healing can put Survivors back into higher Health States. It is possible to heal oneself back to Healthy.

Bite the Bullet
Pain hurts you as much as anyone, but you would prefer others do not know that.
When healing yourself or another Survivor, Grunts of Pain and all noises related to the Healing action are suppressed:

• Failed Healing Skill Checks do not trigger a Loud Noise Notification and only apply a Regression penalty of 3/2/1 %.

“I can do this.” — Leon Scott Kennedy

Botany Knowledge
You transform plants found around The Campfire into tinctures that slow down bleeding.

• Increases your Healing speed by 30/40/50 %.
• Reduces the Healing efficiency of Med-Kits by -20 %.

“Basic Botany Knowledge could save your life someday” — Claudette Morel

Desperate Measures
You refuse to fail, even during your darkest hour.
Increases Healing and Unhooking speeds by 10/12/14 % for each injured, hooked, or dying Survivor, up to a maximum of 40/48/56 %.
“When they come with a wrecking ball, build stronger walls.” — Felix Richter

Self-Care

• Unlocks the Self-Care ability, allowing you to self-heal without needing a Med-Kit at 25/30/35 % of the normal Healing speed.

Bite the Bullet is a Unique Perk belonging to Leon Scott Kennedy.
Botany Knowledge is a Unique Perk belonging to Claudette Morel.
Desperate Measures is a Unique Perk belonging to Felix Richter.
Self-Care is a Unique Perk belonging to Claudette Morel.

Some people have defined meta as an acronym meaning “most effective tactics available”.

Adrenaline
You are fueled by unexpected energy when on the verge of escape.

• Once the Exit Gates are powered, instantly heal one Health State and sprint at 150 % of your normal Running Movement speed for 5 seconds.
• Adrenaline is on hold if you are disabled at the moment it triggers and will instead activate upon being freed.
• If playing against The Nightmare, Adrenaline will wake you from the Dream World upon activation.

Adrenaline ignores an existing Exhaustion timer, but causes the Exhausted Status Effect for 60/50/40 seconds.

Borrowed Time
You are fueled with an unexpected energy when saving an ally from a Hook.
Survivors you unhook benefit from the following effects:

• Extends the duration of their Endurance Status Effect by 6/8/10 seconds.
• Extends the duration of their Haste Status Effect by 10 seconds.

“Probably stings like hell, but it ain’t gonna kill ya. Up and at ’em soldier. Time to move!” — Bill Overbeck

Dead Hard
Activate-able Perk.
You can take a beating.
When you are injured, tap into your adrenaline bank to avoid damage.

• Press the Active Ability button while running to trigger the Endurance Status Effect for 0.5 seconds.

Dead Hard causes the Exhausted Status Effect for 60/50/40 seconds.
Dead Hard cannot be used when Exhausted.
“We were walkin’ through t’ginnel one night when a beer bottle flew past me, then another, and another.
I thought to myself “Gonna ‘ave some fun ‘ere lads, let’s get stuck in!”.
It were a right dust up, I swear down!” — David King

Unbreakable
Past battles have taught you a thing or two about survival.
Once per Trial, you can completely recover from the Dying State.

• Your Recovery speed is increased by 25/30/35 %.

“♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥, I am seriously FUBAR!” — Bill Overbeck

Adrenaline is a Unique Perk belonging to Meg Thomas.
Borrowed Time is a Unique Perk belonging to Bill Overbeck.
Dead Hard is a Unique Perk belonging to David King.
Unbreakable is a Unique Perk belonging to Bill Overbeck

Survivors with a Toolbox or just the Perk Saboteur equipped, have the opportunity to walk up to a Hook and sabotage it, breaking it temporarily in the process.

Boil Over
You are a battler and do everything to escape a foe’s grasp.
While being carried by the Killer, the following effects apply:

• Increases the intensity of the Struggle Effects on the Killer from your Wiggling by 60/70/80 %.
• Obscures the Auras of all Hooks from the Killer’s Aura-reading abilities within 16 metres.
• Fills your Wiggle Meter by 33 % of your current Wiggle progression upon landing, when the Killer drops from great heights.

“Buck and Wild,
Swing to be free,
Your hands just can’t keep ahold of me.” — Kate Denson’s “Boil Over”

Breakdown
Each time you are unhooked or unhook yourself, the Hook breaks and the Killer’s Aura is revealed to you for 4/5/6 seconds.

• A Hook broken by Breakdown takes 180 seconds to respawn.

“Charge from the Belly of the Beast.
Here’s a sketch/painting on a piece of wood I saw by the side of this road. I felt like it got a story to tell. And it didn’t waste its second chance.” — Jeff, ink and oil wash on slice of wood, 12×16

Deliverance
After performing a Safe Hook Rescue on another Survivor, Deliverance activates:

• Your Self-Unhook attempts will succeed 100 % of the time.

Deliverance causes the Broken Status Effect for 100/80/60 seconds after unhooking yourself.
“I was raised by a strict man who taught me how to make the best of a bad situation.” — Adam Francis

Saboteur
Unlocks potential in your Aura-reading ability:
For the duration of the Killer carrying another Survivor, you see the Aura of every Hook within 56 metres of the pick-up location:

• The Auras of regular Hooks are revealed to you in white.
• The Auras of Scourge Hooks are revealed to you in yellow.

Unlocks the ability to sabotage Hooks without needing a Toolbox:

• Sabotaging a Hook without a Toolbox takes 2.5 seconds.
• The Sabotage action has a cool-down of 90/75/60 seconds.

Boil Over is a Unique Perk belonging to Kate Denson.
Breakdown is a Unique Perk belonging to Jeff Johansen.
Deliverance is a Unique Perk belonging to Adam Francis.
Saboteur is a Unique Perk belonging to Jake Park.

So, who is the killer? Do you think you are in control?

Decisive Strike
Using whatever is at hand, you stab your aggressor in an ultimate attempt to escape.
After being unhooked or unhooking yourself, Decisive Strike activates for the next 40/50/60 seconds:

• When being grabbed or picked up by the Killer, succeed a Skill Check to automatically escape their grasp, stunning them for 3 seconds.
• Successfully stunning the Killer will disable Decisive Strike for the remainder of the Trial and result in you becoming the Obsession.

While Decisive Strike is active, performing Conspicuous Actions will deactivate it for the remainder of the Trial.
Decisive Strike deactivates once the Exit Gates are powered.
Increases the odds of becoming the Killer’s initial Obsession by +100 %.
The Killer can only be obsessed with one Survivor at a time.
“There is nothing to be scared of.” — Laurie Strode

Flashbang
You have adapted to a world in chaos and making what you can from the debris.
After repairing Generators for a total of 70/60/50 %, Flashbang activates:

• Enter a Locker empty-handed and press the Ability button to craft a Flash Grenade.

The Flashbang is left behind when escaping the Trial.
“Get outta my face!” — Leon Scott Kennedy

Head On
When your mind is set, there better be no one standing in your way.
While standing in a Locker for 3 seconds, Head On activates:

• When performing a rushed action to leave a Locker, stun the Killer for 3 seconds if they are within range.

Head On causes the Exhausted Status Effect for 60/50/40 seconds.
Head On cannot be used when Exhausted or when you have accrued Idle Crows.
“People are remembered for the challenges they overcome. You can run away and forget what you’re capable of or you can face your fears and remind the world of who you are.” — Jane Romero

Power Struggle
You have never given up and you are not about to start now.

• Reveals the Auras of available Pallets whenever you are in the Dying State.

While being carried by The Killer, reaching 25/20/15 % Wiggling progression activates Power Struggle:

• You can drop a nearby, standing Pallet to stun the Killer and escape their grasp.

Power Struggle deactivates after triggering successfully.
“I relied on others to protect me once and I lost everything. Never again.” — Élodie Rakoto

Decisive Strike is a Unique Perk belonging to Laurie Strode.
Flashbang is a Unique Perk belonging to Leon Scott Kennedy.
Head On is a Unique Perk belonging to Jane Romero.
Power Struggle is a Unique Perk belonging to Élodie Rakoto

Chests are an interactive object that can be searched by Survivors in order to acquire Items within a Trial.

Ace in the Hole
Lady Luck always seems to be throwing something good your way.
When retrieving an Item from a Chest, there is a chance an Add-on will be attached to it.

• 100 % chance for an Add-on of Very Rare Rarity or lower.
• 10/25/50 % chance for a second Add-on of Uncommon Rarity or lower.

Ace in the Hole allows you to keep any Add-ons your Item has equipped upon escaping.
“Everything that glitters isn’t gold. But gold isn’t worth a damn in this place, so this should come in handy.” — Ace Visconti

Appraisal
You have a careful eye that notices what many overlook.
Start the Trial with 3 Tokens:

• When a Chest has already been opened, consume 1 Token to rummage through it for an Item.
• Rummage through Chests 40/60/80 % faster.

Rummaging is only available once per Chest.

Pharmacy
You have a knack for finding medicine.
Whenever you are in the Injured State, Pharmacy activates:

• Increases the Unlocking speed of Chests by 40/60/80 %.
• Reduces the Hearing range of noises related to Unlocking by -8 metres.
• Guarantees an Emergency Med-Kit when unlocking a Chest.

“Adrenaline, it is going to keep us awake. I stole it from one of the Nurse’s carts.” — Quentin Smith

Plunderer’s Instinct
Unlocks potential in your Aura-reading ability:

• The Auras of closed Chests and dropped Items in the environment within 16/24/32 metres of your location are revealed to you.
• Grants a considerably better chance at finding an Item of a higher Rarity from Chests.

“The pioneers used to loot these babies for hours.” — Aizeyu, The Lost Tapes

Ace in the Hole is a Unique Perk belonging to Ace Visconti.
Appraisal is a Unique Perk belonging to Élodie Rakoto.
Pharmacy is a Unique Perk belonging to Quentin Smith.