Worst Killer Perks In DbD – Investment Policy

Summary

Overwhelming Presence fails to disrupt gameplay effectively due to its limited range and conditional activation.
Septic Touch punishes rare errors and experienced players, making it ineffective in practice.
Beast of Prey rewards failure by granting Undetectable status, encouraging inefficient gameplay.

In the thrilling and pressure-filled realm of Dead by Daylight, it’s clear that the difference between an impressive victory and a crushing defeat can be minimal for each Killer. The meta evolves continuously, Survivors become more daring, and the variety of available perks only increases. With over a hundred Killer perks in rotation, selecting the most effective four often feels like a game within itself.

A single misjudged decision can transform a formidable opponent into an easy target, and this is why it’s crucial for players to identify and steer clear of certain perks. Some of these perks are outdated or experimental failures, but they all hinder progress by promoting incorrect tactics, reinforcing ineffective actions, or failing to deliver when needed the most. For those dedicated to enhancement, here’s a list of Killer perks that should be avoided at all costs.

Overwhelming Presence

Too Many Conditions And Not Enough Impact

Effect range: 32 meters
Cooldown: 25 seconds

Initially intended to penalize survivors armed with items, the Overwhelming Presence finds itself in an unusual creative standstill. Essentially, when survivors utilize an item within approximately 32 meters of the Killer, they become Exhausted for a short duration and their aura becomes visible. Though this might seem disruptive theoretically, in reality, it’s comparable to launching a paper airplane at a speeding freight train – essentially ineffective.

As a devoted fan, I’d rephrase that for an engaging first-person perspective:

When I’m playing as a Survivor, I’ve noticed that this perk can be fleeting and unpredictable. It tends to kick in when I use an item close to the Killer, but let’s face it, that’s not usually by chance. Moreover, with a swift cooldown timer, even if I manage to trigger it, the advantage is short-lived. Most Survivors learn to abstain from using items when in close proximity to the Killer, and those who don’t take unnecessary risks are rarely caught off guard due to this perk.

Septic Touch

A Perk That Punishes Mistakes That Never Happen

Effect range: Within the Killer’s Terror Radius
Effect Duration: 10 seconds

The perk Septic Touch might seem effective at first glance, as it inflicts Blindness and Exhaustion on survivors attempting to heal within the Terror Radius. However, skilled survivors avoid healing near the killer. Consequently, this perk primarily affects survivors who have already made significant mistakes, while those who truly need to be slowed down will likely dodge its effects.

In many cases, the stealthy Killers’ ability to disable or fail to activate a specific perk (which allows them to detect healing Survivors) is not impeded when the Terror Radius is reduced. Additionally, The Dredge, who possesses this perk, doesn’t reap its benefits during the Nightfall event.

Hex: Two Can Play

The Perk That Feels Like A Slap On The Wrist

Perk Type: Unique Perk
Effect Duration: 1.5 seconds

If Survivors can successfully stun or distract the Killer’s senses twice using items like flashlights or traps, they will activate a special item called Hex totem. Once activated, anyone attempting to stun or blind the Killer from that moment on will temporarily lose their own ability to do so for 1.5 seconds. However, this trade-off might seem underwhelming as it only causes a brief inconvenience for a Survivor who has already made their move and likely escaped safely.

As a seasoned gamer, let me tell you this – the perk’s power can be stripped away at any given moment, wiping out the danger completely. Frankly, Two Can Play seems like nothing more than an inside joke when stacked against chase or anti-blind perks. Lightborn offers an all-encompassing shield against being blinded. Spirit Fury and Enduring make it so pallets are no match for me. This Hex might as well be a minor inconvenience – not even a speed bump for skilled Survivors who have mastered timing and map navigation.

Scourge Hook: Hangman’s Trick

The Aura Reading That Nobody Needs

Effect Range: 16 meters
Effect duration: While carrying a Survivor (auras remain visible)

As an avid gamer, I’ve been eagerly anticipating the addition of Hangman’s Trick, which transforms ordinary hooks into mighty Scourge Hooks, granting Killers a glimpse of Survivors in their vicinity while carrying someone. The loud notification upon hook sabotage certainly seems enticing, but the real challenge lies in the rarity of all conditions aligning for this perk to truly shine.

Moreover, I’ve found that the aura reveal is often fleeting and inconveniently placed, making it difficult to act upon. In essence, while Hangman’s Trick holds promise, its impact on gameplay can sometimes feel elusive.

For actual information: Barbecue & Chili and Floods of Rage expose all Survivors following a hook, while Awakened Awareness reveals anyone nearby the Killer when they are carrying an item. Hangman’s Trick seldomly pings a player, usually not at critical moments, and it doesn’t aid in pressuring the map or tracking objectives.

In this version, I’ve attempted to use more conversational language and made the explanation a bit clearer by breaking it down into smaller sentences that focus on each ability separately.

Undone

Going All-In On Survivor Mistakes With Little Payoff

Perk Type: Unique Perk
Cooldown: 60 seconds

In simpler terms, the game Undone gives extra tokens when a Survivor fails at fixing or healing tasks. If a generator is activated with these tokens, it gradually degrades by 1% for each token used, and blocks the Killer for 1 second per token as well. However, experienced Survivors usually don’t miss skill checks very often, and if they do, the Killer usually already has the upper hand in the game.

If survivors don’t have enough opportunities to trigger Undone’s effects, then using the perk is unnecessary, especially against powerful teams. In such cases, it appears to be ineffective. However, against weaker teams, it seems excessive. Even when fully activated, its benefits can be surpassed by other perks like Pop Goes the Weasel, Eruption, or Pain Resonance, which consistently yield results.

Shadowborn

A Perk That Rewards Players For Losing

Perk Type: Unique Perk
Effect Duration: 10 seconds

Originally, Shadowborn enhanced the Field of View, but currently, it activates only when players are blinded by a Survivor, providing a slight Haste boost. This might seem appealing until it’s understood that the sole benefit is experienced after losing a crucial mind game and enduring a blinding flashlight attack.

As a gamer, I’d rephrase it like this:

When the speed boost is on, my vision isn’t always at its best, which can be pretty frustrating. But with Lightborn activated, those annoying blinds are history – no catches or conditions. On the other hand, Shadowborn seems to offer a small compensation when things go wrong… but honestly, it feels like they could’ve been prevented in the first place.

Shattered Hope

The Meta Counter That Time Forgot

Perk Type: General Perk
Effect Duration: 8 seconds

In the past, when Boon Totems held significant power in the game, Shattered Hope was the perfect countermeasure: it allowed Killers to permanently eliminate them, providing a brief glimpse of nearby Survivors. Now, however, Boons are hardly noticed in most matches, and often, simply using basic actions is enough to extinguish a Boon Totem if one appears at all.

In many games, this advantage is so dependent on specific situations that it seldom gets triggered. Even when it does go off, it usually doesn’t have a significant impact on the game outcome. On the other hand, other detrimental or delaying perks consistently provide noticeable benefits regardless of the match.

Beast Of Prey

The Ultimate Failure Reward

Perk Type: Unique Perk
Effect Duration: 40 seconds

In a more casual and understandable way: The Beast of Prey is infamous in an unfortunate manner. This Huntress perk offers Undetectable status when players reach Bloodlust, essentially applauding them for not catching survivors for long stretches. Unfortunately, by the time Bloodlust activates, the survivors already know exactly where the Killer stands. Therefore, stealth becomes irrelevant since the prey is well aware of the danger lurking nearby.

Successful players aim to avoid triggering Bloodlust since ending pursuits swiftly is key to winning matches. However, this perk incentivizes not achieving that, a situation undesirable for gamers. The Beast of Prey is an emblematic illustration of the flawed concept of “reward for failure” perks. It encourages negative playstyles, becomes active during crisis situations, and offers benefits that don’t address existing issues.

2025-09-09 15:11