Dead by Daylight has already announced its licensed Dungeons and Dragons chapter, but it’s finally time to find out more about it. The D&D x DBD crossover is a full chapter, which means we get a new Survivor, Slayer, and Map.
Despite the Beholder in the video that Behavior Interactive (BHVR) shared on their X account, many fans actually guessed that Vecna - an iconic villain in the world of D&D – will be the Slayer of the chapter. In DBD, Vecna’s power comes from the Book of Vile Darkness and the four spells he can cast with it. You can switch between them at any time in the trial.
- fly – The ability to fly quickly over the map and pass through obstacles for a short period of time.
- Magic Hand – Creates a phantom hand that can hold and block pallets and also lift a pallet back up (similar to Yui’s perk).
- Flight of the Damned – Creates skeleton ghosts that can also fly and pass through obstacles to hurt Survivors.
- Dispelling Sphere – Creates an AoE sphere that reveals Survivors and their Magic Items, along with disabling them for a short period of time.
To my disappointment, we don’t get any special interaction between the Stranger Things characters and Vecna. I’m still keeping my fingers crossed in the future (maybe if we get an Eddie skin for Steve Harrington).
However, the best part of this Killer is the voice. Vecna is voiced by Matt Mercer (one of my all-time favorite Voice Actors). It is perfect considering his place as the DM in a Critical Role.
When it comes to the Survivor, don’t be fooled by the two characters in the picture; there is only one Survivor in the new DnD chapter. They are similar to Legion, meaning you can choose between the two options. You can either play as Aestri Yazar (elven bard) or Baermar Uraz (human bard). They have the same exact Perk set; it’s just the skin and your preferences on who you want to play as.
You can meet these characters in the Forgotten Ruins—a new dungeon map that will be part of the Decimated Borgo realm. Much like the DBD maps with large basement levels (Midwich Elementary School and Gideon Meat Plant), this new one will also have a large underground section that you will reach through a massive tower.
If you thought that was all, Dead by Daylight also introduces new DnD-inspired mechanics for Survivors. You will find special chests in trials against Vecna that open in a very funny way. You’ll have to roll a d20 to see what you get.
If you roll two or three, you get a regular DBD item—just like you would from the normal boxes. If you roll a four to a 19, you get a Magic item (Gauntlets or Boots) that can help you counter one of Vecna’s spells. If you’re lucky enough to get a Nat 20, you can get one of two Magic items that can be used as an Advantage:
- The Eye of Vecna – Disappear from the Slayer’s POV for a short time after you exit a locker.
- The Hand of Vecna – Teleport from one closet to another.
The powers of these two items can be combined, although you have to be very lucky to roll a 20 both times. Although these Magic items are both very useful, they come at a cost. You will have to sacrifice one Health status to use them. This can be a good strategy when you are in danger of getting hooked. It will be quite fun to see how the players will be creative with it, especially when already injured.
And don’t worry—I haven’t forgotten about Critical Failure. BHVR keeps this mechanic as a nasty surprise for the players. You can test it on the PTB, which will go live on May 14th. I wonder if it’s instant Mori or something milder. We’ll find out soon enough!
If you want to be the best at the game, check it out How to Quickly Identify the Killer in Dead by Daylight on Pro Game Guides.
