Whether Dead By Daylight fans take the role of the Killer or a Survivor, they know they’ve got a tough road ahead of them. Survivors are often one simple mistake away from being taken out of the game by their terrifying and relentless adversary, while a clever and devious Survivor can evade their foe and eke out a win even when alone if the Killer isn’t careful.
If you’re looking to succeed in either role in Dead By Daylight, then, you’ll need a firm understanding of how status effects work in the game. There are sixteen of them in all, and they can help and hinder Killer and Survivor alike. Here’s a rundown of every status in the game and what they do, beginning with the positive ones and moving on to the negative.
16 Bloodlust
The first positive Status Effect (indicated by a yellow icon) is Bloodlust. In uninterrupted Chases, Bloodlust will steadily increase the Killer’s speed, to help mitigate stalemate situations.
The bonus increases from a 0.2 m/s speed boost for the pursuer to a 0.4m/s increase after 30 seconds of chasing to a 0.6 m/s one after 45 seconds. Bloodlust rapidly decreases if the Chase is interrupted.
15 Endurance
Endurance is the first Survivor-exclusive Status Effect. It allows the character to take no damage from the next attack, while still gaining the momentary speed boost from it (and the telltale white flash to alert the Killer to the status). Consider it a quick Get Out Of Jail Free card.
The perks Mettle of Man, Soul Guard and Borrowed Time and the add-on Styptic Agent all grant the Survivor using them Endurance under different conditions (the latter is exclusive to Bill Overbeck at first but is teachable). Work with your team, Survivors, and make those free hits count!
14 Haste
Whether players have taken the role of Killer or Survivor, they’re sure to find the Haste Status Effect invaluable. As the name suggests, it’s a simple buff to movement speed.
Various perks bestow Haste on the player, including Lithe (which gives a temporary boost to sprint speed after a rushed vault) and Sprint Burst (a momentary super-fast dash for up to three seconds). The thing to be aware of is that Haste tends to inflict the Exhausted Status Effect on the user afterwards, which can be very dangerous (more on that later).
13 Luck
Luck is another very simple positive status, exclusive to Survivors. As in many RPGs, it gives chance rolls (such as attempted disarming of traps) a greater chance to succeed. When you’re being chased by a hideous, vicious monstrosity, you always want Lady Luck on your side.
Luck is mostly acquired through Offerings; the Black Salt Statuette, Chalk Pouch and Vigo’s Jar of Salty Lips among them. Ace Visconti’s Perk (also teachable) Up The Ante also gives the player 1%-3% (depending on Perk level) extra Luck per currently surviving teammate.
12 Undetectable
While stealth can be crucial in a wide variety of titles, it behooves Killer and Survivor alike to be sneaky in Dead By Daylight. Sadly for the latter, only Killers get access to Undetectable, the game’s final positive status.
This temporarily prevents Survivors from locating their tormentor through most of the usual means. It’s available through certain powers (Ghost Face’s Night Shroud and Wraith’s Wailing Bell among them), Perks (such as Insidious) and seven different Add-Ons (including Vigo’s Journal and Obsidian Goblet). Now for the negative Status Effects (indicated by a red icon on the HUD), of which there are ten.
11 Blindness
Blindness temporarily prevents Survivors from seeing Auras, crucial early-warning mechanics which they really do need to stay on top of. It can be devastating.
Hiding in Lockers will inflict this status on players, as will Leatherface’s Knock Out Perk, Hag’s Hex: The Third Seal (both unlockable) and Add-Ons such as Face Mask and “Blind Warrior”- Mud.
10 Broken
This brutal Status Effect is also exclusive to Survivors, a way for Killers to bypass those canny survivors’ tendency to heal themselves if they escape your wrath. There’s no returning to the healthy state once you’re Broken.
This status is inflicted by, among other things, The Plague’s Vile Purge (at full infection level) and the Executioner’s Forced Penance Perk, the second of which is very nice against Survivors who try to shield themselves from your blows.
9 Deep Wound
The Deep Wound status is, in short, a sign that a Survivor is in a heck of a lot of trouble. It’s a signal of a sort of grace period between an attack and hitting the Dying status, giving the character or their allies 20 seconds to patch them up before they’re incapacitated.
The third tier of Madness can prevent the Survivor from healing themselves, just to give Survivors something else to worry about. It can be inflicted by a lot of damaging effects, including The Deathslinger’s Redeemer if interrupted.
8 Exhausted
As previously mentioned, use of Haste tends to result in the Exhausted status. This only afflicts Survivors and prevents them from using Haste Perks until their exhaustion passes.
For Killers, this is the time to strike, as it means that the prey often won’t have the means to escape. The Venomous Concoction Add-On for the Hunting Hatchets is very handy for inflicting this status.
7 Exposed
Exposed in one of the frightening Status Effects. It can affect multiple Survivors at once, leaving them open to taking twice the damage from normal attacks while it’s effective.
The Shape uses this to great effect during Evil Within III, but only has one minute to do so. However it’s afflicted, it tends to have a very short duration, so make the most of it, Killers!
6 Hemorrhage
Put simply, the Hemorrhage status give Killers yet another way to stalk their prey. While under its effects, Survivors will leave lasting trails of blood behind them.
Aside from the health aspect, this status has a huge psychological effect on players and can be afflicted by a range of Add-Ons and two perks (Blood Echo and Sloppy Butcher). Survivors, heal yourselves as quickly as possible!
5 Hindered
Compared to some statuses, Hindered doesn’t sound quite so devastating. It certainly can be, though. Essentially, it cuts the affected Survivor’s speed (the severity of which differs depending on what inflicted it).
This status effect is notably used by the Clown, who throws his patented Afterpiece Tonic to temporarily debilitate his victims. The Killers really are super strong (as are the Survivors in their own way).
4 Infected
Infected is a very unique status, yet again only affecting Survivors. It causes a disease which, as detailed earlier, can inflicted the Broken status on suffers. It also turns the concept of teamwork against the Survivors (though, again, lone Survivors can make a quick escape through the hatch in the right conditions), by potentially spreading between them.
This status can only be inflicted by The Plague, which is what makes them such an intriguing Killer to play as.
3 Madness
Another Killer with their own status mechanic is The Doctor. Through the Carter’s Spark Power, this villain can steadily impair his victims’ sanity, causing all kinds of detrimental effects.
As a character’s Madness level increases, they will periodically scream to alert him, see visions of imaginary Doctors and other indirectly devastating effects. At Madness III, only Snap Out Of It will really save players.
2 Mangled
As is plain to see, there are a lot of Status Effects in Dead By Daylight that are very dangerous for Survivors. Mangled isn’t as directly brutal as it sounds, but it can be just as deadly as any other.
Applied by the Sloppy Butcher Perk, the Bubba’s Chainsaw Add-On Grisly Chains and more, Mangled impairs a Survivor’s healing ability (making all attempts take 20% longer).
1 Oblivious
The final Status Effect is Oblivious. It has a similar effect to Blindness, in that it prevents Survivors from detecting the Killer to an extent. Here, they get no indication when they’re in the Killer’s Terror Radius.
It’s inflicted by (among other things) the Executioner’s Deathbound Perk, The Nightmare’s Dream Demon Power and the Lost Memories Book Add-On for Rites Of Judgement.