Dracula — The Dark Lord

The Dark Lord
Name	Dracula
Game Alias(es)	"Vlad" "Vlad the Impaler"
Gender	Man
Origin	Wallachian (Romania)
Power	Vampiric Shift
Power Attack Type	Special Attack (Hellfire Spell, Pounce)
Weapon	Pale Claws
Movement Speed	115 % | 4.6 m/s
Terror Radius	32 metres
Lullaby Radius	48 metres (Bat Form)
Height	Tall
DLC	CHAPTER 33: Castlevania
Voice Actor	Crispin Freeman (Voice Actor)
Cost	500 Auric Cells
Menu Music
Terror Radius Music
Lullaby

Dracula or "The Dark Lord" is one of 37 Killers currently featured in Dead by Daylight.

He will be introduced as the Killer of CHAPTER 33: Castlevania, a Chapter DLC to be released on 27 August 2024.

He originates from the Video Game Franchise Castlevania by Konami, specifically Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997).

Overview

The Dark Lord, Dracula, is the embodiment of darkness and tragedy.

His personal Perks, Hex: Wretched Fate, Human Greed, and Dominance, allow him to slow the Repair speed of the Obsession, reveal the Auras of unopened Chests and nearby Survivors, and temporarily block Chests and Totems.

Difficulty Rating: Moderate
(These Killers require the Player to be comfortable with the basics of the role, though they share common mechanics with easier ones)

Lore

Inconsolable grief metamorphosed into madness after the death of Dracula's beloved. He sought out the fabled Crimson Stone as a way to cheat death, but death trapped his soul inside the stone, granting him eternal life as a vampire. Vlad Tepes Dracula was now the Dark Lord. He slept by day and hunted in the eventide, seeking out the living and stealing their lifeblood. He built a castle in Romania shielded with sinister magic and turned many of the local villagers into the living dead. Dracula's Castle became a symbol I of terror and despair. His power seemed unassailable and many perished trying to defeat him as he sowed endless chaos, suffering, and death.

In 1476 Trevor Belmont of the Belmont Clan ended Dracula's reign with the Vampire Killer. But the undead never stay dead for long and Dracula was resurrected more than once over the centuries to continue his quest for revenge.

Last resurrected in 1999, Dracula raised an army of the undead. It took another descendant of the Belmont Clan to defeat him: Julius Belmont. In the savage clash - known as the Battle of 1999, Julius Belmont took the fight to Dracula's Castle and battled the Dark Lord with the same enchanted whip his distant ancestors wielded. Most believe Dracula suffered a true death. A final death. But Dracula didn't die that night. As the Vampire Killer tore the flesh from his bones, a strange fog rolled across the ancient stone floor. Dracula felt the icy fingers of something or someone beckoning him. The Fog engulfed him and transported him to a place where he could continue his dark vengeance against humanity.

Load-out

Unique Perks

The Dark Lord comes with 3 Perks that are unique to him:

	Dominance	The power you wield over the land strikes terror in the hearts of all who cross your path. Calls upon The Entity to block Chests and Totem for 4/6/8 seconds that are interacted with by a Survivor for the first time in the Trial. The Auras of blocked Chests and Totems are revealed to you in white. "Tragic, is it not? How powerless you must feel." — Dracula
	Hex: Wretched Fate	You see your victim from afar and resolve to prolong their suffering. After a Generator is completed, Hex: Wretched Fate activates and lights a random Dull Totem, cursing the Obsession: Reduces their Repair speed by 27/30/33 %. The Aura of the Hex Totem is revealed to them within 12 metres. "So toil, mortal, toil! Your effort will be for naught!" — Dracula
	Human Greed	One can always rely on the avarice of the living and use it to one's advantage. Grants the ability to kick opened Chests and close them. Increases the Unlocking speed on kicked Chests by +50 %. The Auras of unopened Chests are revealed to you at all times. The Auras of Survivors coming within 8 metres of unopened or closed Chests are revealed to you for 3 seconds. Human Greed has a cool-down of 60/45/30 seconds on the ability to kick Chests. "Come running, one and all, and see what fortune awaits you." — Dracula

Prestige

Prestiging The Dark Lord will automatically add Tier I of his Unique Perks to the inventories of all other Killers and unlock the ability for their higher-tiered versions to spawn in their Bloodweb.

Prestige The Dark Lord twice more to automatically add Tier II and Tier III respectively into the other Killers' inventories.

Weapon: Pale Claws

Pale Claws are the Primary Weapon of The Dark Lord.
All he needed to make quick work of his prey were his bare hands.

Power: Vampiric Shift

"His dark power allows him to exact revenge on humans, taking many forms to terrorise and slaughter them."

SPECIAL ABILITY: SHAPESHIFT
The Dark Lord has access to 3 Forms and can freely change between them.
Each Form has unique abilities and strengths.

Press and hold the Secondary Action button in any Form to initialise a Shapeshift:

• Confirm a Shapeshift by pressing either the Attack button or the Power button.
• Cancel a Shapeshift by releasing the Secondary Power button.

Regardless of his current Form, The Dark Lord is always able to interact with Props, temporarily shifting into a ghostly husk of his Vampire Form during the interaction, if necessary.

SPECIAL SHAPE: VAMPIRE FORM
The default Form of The Dark Lord.

• Provides the default Movement speed of 4.6 m/s.
• Grants the ability to cast the Hellfire Spell.

SPECIAL SHAPE: WOLF FORM
This Form provides The Dark Lord with access to several abilities that allow for more effective tracking:

• Provides the default Movement speed of 4.6 m/s.
• Increases the visibility of Pools of Blood and Scratch Marks.
• Grants the ability to see and collect Scent Orbs left by Survivors:
  • Grants a +4.35 % Haste Status Effect for 2.5 seconds, temporarily increasing his Movement speed to 4.8 m/s.
  • Reduces the Cool-down duration of the Pounce Attack by -20 %.
• Triggers Killer Instinct for 2 seconds on Survivors that perform a Rushed Action.
• Grants access to the Pounce Attack.
  • Has a cool-down of 20 seconds.

SPECIAL SHAPE: BAT FORM
This Form provides The Dark Lord with access to several abilities that allow for greater stealth and mobility:

• Increases his Movement speed to 6 m/s.
• Removes the ability to attack or interact with Survivors.
• Grants the Undetectable Status Effect:
  • Survivors hear a Lullaby within 48 metres.
• Grants the ability to teleport to any Vault location within 32 metres of his current location.
• Allows The Dark Lord to ignore dropped Pallets and Windows.
• Survivors are invisible while in this Form, but still leave Scratch Marks:
• Increases the volume of their Footsteps by +50 %.

SPECIAL ATTACK: HELLFIRE SPELL
While in Vampire Form, press and hold the Power button to charge the Hellfire Spell.
Releasing the Power button will cancel it.
Press the Attack button when fully charged to release 7 Pillars of Flame that travel in a straight line from the The Dark Lord with a range of 8 metres.
The Pillars of Flame can pass over low obstacles.

The Hellfire Spell has a cool-down of 7 seconds.

SPECIAL ATTACK: POUNCE
While in Wolf Form, press and hold the Power button to charge a Pounce and automatically attack once fully charged.
The Dark Lord will always pounce twice, unless the first Pounce collides with a Survivor.
Pouncing against a Breakable Wall or a dropped Pallet destroys them.

SPECIAL LOCOMOTION: TELEPORT
While in Bat Form, press and hold the Power button to ready a Teleport.
Press the Attack button while aiming at any dropped Pallet or Window within 32 metres to teleport to it, travelling at 10 m/s.

Power Trivia

Movement Speeds:

Main Article

• Walking after casting Hellfire: 2 m/s
• Walking while charging Hellfire: 3.8 m/s (x0.826)
• Walking in Wolf Form while charging Pounce: 3.91 m/s (x0.85)
• Walking in Vampire/Wolf Form: 4.6 m/s
• Walking in Wolf Form with Scent Orb bonus: 4.8 m/s (x1.04348)
• Flying in Bat Form: 6 m/s
• Teleporting in Bat Form: 10 m/s
• Pouncing (during the Open Phase): 13.34 m/s (x2.9)

Shapeshifting:

Vampire Form:

• Terror Radius: 32 metres
• Lullaby Radius: n/a
• Footstep Volume bonus: n/a
• Killer Instinct duration: n/a

Wolf Form:

• Terror Radius: 32 metres
• Lullaby Radius: n/a
• Footstep Volume bonus: n/a
• Killer Instinct duration: 2 seconds

Bat Form:
While Survivors are invisible in this Form, Static Illusions created by Perks such as Mirrored Illusion remain visible immediately betraying their trickery nature.

• Terror Radius: n/a (Undetectable Status Effect)
• Lullaby Radius: 48 metres
• Footstep Volume bonus: +50 %
  • This refers to the volume of Footsteps from nearby Survivors.
• Killer Instinct duration: n/a

Hellfire:

• Charge time: 0.9 seconds
• Recharge time: 7 seconds
  • The Spell starts immediately recharging as soon as the Player presses the Attack button to unleash the Spell.
    It does not wait until after the Spell is cast.
• Range: 8 metres

Scent Orbs:

• Spawn rate: 1 every 6 seconds
• Lifetime: 10 seconds
• Cool-down reduction on the Pounce Attack: -20 % per Orb
• Haste strength: +4.35 %
  • This increases his Movement speed to 4.8 m/s.
• Haste duration: 2.5 seconds

Pounce:

• Charge time: 1 second
• Recharge time: 20 seconds
• Range: 5 metres
• Attack Open Phase duration: 0.5 seconds
• Hitting Phase duration: 2.25 seconds
• Cool-down durations:
  • Missed or obstructed hit: 2.25 seconds
  • Successful hit: 2.7 seconds

Teleport:

• Range: 32 metres
• Movement speed: 10 m/s

Add-ons for Vampiric Shift

Icon	Name	Description
	Cerberus Talon	A sharp memento from one of Dracula's most terrifying guards. Increases the Aura-reading range of Scent Orbs by +100.
	Clock Tower Gear	A piece of the great clock tower, a reminder of the inevitability of time itself. Reduces the Cool-down duration after Shapeshifting by -10 %.
	Ruby Circlet	An enchanted headpiece that brings even the mightiest of flames to heel. Reduces the Cool-down duration of the Hellfire Spell by -10 %.
	Traveller's Hat	A wide-brimmed hat that once belonged to a well-travelled man. Reduces the duration of the Penalty applied after performing a Shapeshift by -10 %.
	Blood-Filled Goblet	The blood of his victims sustains him and makes him an even greater hunter. Increases the Lifetime of Scent Orbs by +50 %.
	Magical Ticket	A strange artifact once used to transport across Dracula's castle. Increases the Teleporation speed by +25 %.
	Moonstone Necklace	A simple necklace by day, but its power comes to life in the dark. Reduces the Terror Radius in Vampire and Wolf Form by -4 metres.
	White Wolf Medallion	A trinket once used to call a great spirit guide. Increases the duration of Killer Instinct in Wolf Form by +40 %.
	Winged Boots	Long used by their wearers to move quickly. Increases the range of the Teleport ability by +20 %.
	Force of Echo	An artifact that grants bats even greater senses in the dark. Increases the Spawn rate of Scent Orbs by +17 %.
	Killer Doll	One of Dracula's minions, and a reminder that all are his playthings. Increases the Cool-down reduction of the Pounce Attack when collecting a Scent Orbs by +50 %.
	Pocket Watch	A tool that bends the rules of time itself. Breaking Pallets instantly recharges the Teleport ability.
	Sunglasses	They protect against bright lights, in addition to looking cool. Increases the number of Pillars of Flame by +1. Increases the Charge time of the Hellfire Spell by +25 %.
	Sylph Feather	An enchanted feather that grants its holder great agility. Breaking Pallets grants +1 Token, up to a maximum of 5 Tokens: Reduces the Cool-down duration of the Hellfire Spell by -5 % per Token, up to a maximum of -25 %.
	Cube of Zoe	A strange box whose presence creates something from nothing. Whenever a Generator is completed, Pillars of Flame are created randomly around The Dark Lord for the next 10 seconds.
	Lapis Lazuli	A stone said to bring luck to its holders, or take it from their enemies. Calls upon The Entity for the following effect: Blocks the Vault location you teleported to for 15 seconds.
	Medusa's Hair	A snakelike memento from one of Dracula's most ancient and fearsome minions. Causes all Survivors within 12 metres of your Teleport destination to suffer from a -15 % Hindered Status Effect for 5 seconds.
	Warg's Fang	A mighty tool of destruction taken from one of Dracula's most dangerous allies. The Auras of all Survivors whose Scent Orbs you collected are revealed to you for 4 seconds whenever the Pounce Attack becomes available.
	Alucard's Shield	A family heirloom that blocks its bearer's enemies at every turn. Once an Exit Gate is opened, Alucard's Shield activates: Causes Pillars of Flame to continuously spawn inside the Exit Gate. "Oh, but this world invited me. Your own kind called me forth with praise and tribute." — Dracula
	Iridescent Ring of Vlad	A unique relic belonging to Dracula. It is said none can approach the Dark Lord without it. Causes the Hellfire Spell to home in on nearby Survivors. Reduces the number of Pillars of Flame by -1. "Enough talk... have at you!" — Dracula

Cosmetic Options

Players can choose from a variety of Cosmetic options to customise The Dark Lord:

Default

Icon	Name	Body	Rarity	Description
	The Dark Lord		Common	A cruel and arrogant vampire who renounced his humanity centuries ago.
	Crimson Cape		Common	He draped himself in only the finest of materials, fit for undying nobility.
	Pale Claws		Common	All he needed to make quick work of his prey were his bare hands.

Prestige

Icon	Name	Body	Rarity	Description
	Bloody Dark Lord		Rare	A ruthless and foul vampire who spent centuries feasting on the blood of his victims.
	Blood-streaked Cape		Rare	He killed in cold blood while wearing only the finest on materials.
	Grisly Claws		Rare	All he needed to eviscerate his prey was his cold, dead hands.

Perk Charms

Prestige Level 7 Reward	Prestige Level 8 Reward	Prestige Level 9 Reward
A keepsake gained upon mastery of a particular skill.

Rift

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In-Game Store

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DLC

Main article: Downloadable Content

The Dark Lord is part of 1 DLC:

• CHAPTER 33: Castlevania

Achievements

Main article: Achievements

There are 2 Achievements related to The Dark Lord:

Icon	Name	Description
	Adept Dark Lord	Playing as The Dark Lord, achieve a Merciless Victory using only his 3 Unique Perks: Hex: Wretched Fate Icon Cost 2,500 3,250 4,000 Description You see your victim from afar and resolve to prolong their suffering. After a Generator is completed, Hex: Wretched Fate activates and lights a random Dull Totem, cursing the Obsession: Reduces their Repair speed by 27/30/33 %. The Aura of the Hex Totem is revealed to them within 12 metres. "So toil, mortal, toil! Your effort will be for naught!" — Dracula , Human Greed Icon Cost 2,500 3,250 4,000 Description One can always rely on the avarice of the living and use it to one's advantage. Grants the ability to kick opened Chests and close them. Increases the Unlocking speed on kicked Chests by +50 . The Auras of unopened Chests are revealed to you at all times. The Auras of Survivors coming within 8 metres of unopened or closed Chests are revealed to you for 3 seconds. Human Greed has a cool-down of 60/45/30 seconds on the ability to kick Chests. "Come running, one and all, and see what fortune awaits you." — Dracula , and Dominance Icon Cost 2,500 3,250 4,000 Description The power you wield over the land strikes terror in the hearts of all who cross your path. Calls upon The Entity to block Chests and Totem for 4/6/8 seconds that are interacted with by a Survivor for the first time in the Trial. The Auras of blocked Chests and Totems are revealed to you in white. "Tragic, is it not? How powerless you must feel." — Dracula .
	Symphony of Fire	Playing as The Dark Lord, damage Survivors using the Hellfire Spell a total of 20 times.

Trivia

• The file name of the icon that pops up as a tooltip during the loading screen for the first few times a Player encounters The Dark Lord suggests that he could have been named The Shapeshift at an earlier point in development.
• The Dark Lord is only the third Killer since The Nurse who floats and glides across the floor instead of walking, given that he is in his Vampire Form.
  • In a similar manner to her using telekinesis to interact with Props, The Dark Lord uses pyrokinesis instead of his own hands.
• The Developers did not want The Dark Lord to use his legs to vault through Windows as that would be "beneath him" and for "lowly humans" only, prompting them to create the misty husk form with which he phases through them.
• The Design of Dead by Daylight's Dracula originates from the 1997 Action RPG Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, though his origin game is the original 1986 Action-Platform game Castlevania.

Dracula's Castle Easter Egg

• Trials with The Dark Lord can feature Dracula's Castle as a visual Easter Egg.
  • The Castle looms over the Trial Grounds, situated on an inaccessible floating island beyond the border walls of the Map.
  • The Castle is present in all Trials that take place on an original Map that is not associated with another license.
    Trials occurring on the latter do not feature the Castle.

Power References

• A good part of Vampiric Shift references moves Dracula performs during boss fights in various other media that he is a part of:
  • The Hellfire Spell is used in the boss fight between Dracula and Trevor Belmont in Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (1989) and a move in his first phase in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018).
  • The Wolf Form references a move in Dracula's third phase in the video game Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (2007).
  • The Bat Form references Dracula's many uses of it as a teleportation ability, though it is most reminiscent of the one featured in the 1987 arcade game Haunted Castle, the second instalment of Castlevania arcade games.

Mori Reference

• The Memento Mori references a scene from Castlevania: Symphony of the Night in which Dracula, sitting on his throne, throws and destroys his glass while saying the infamous line: "What is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets."

Chase Theme Reference

• The Chase Theme of The Dark Lord references his boss fight theme "Nothing to Lose" from the original NES version of Castlevania (1987).

Voice Actor

• The Dark Lord is voiced by Crispin Freeman, a Californian voice actor who has voiced several Characters in the Castlevania franchise, including Dracula/Mathias Cronqvist, and Hector.

Voice-Lines

• The Dark Lord is the eighth Killer to actively speak during Trials.
• As his archnemesis, The Dark Lord has several voice-lines specific to encounters with Trevor Belmont, both in the Lobby and during the Trial.

Voice-Line References

• The Dark Lord has several unique voice-lines for when his nemesis, Trevor Belmont, or his son, Alucard, join the lobby, as well as when he kills them with Memento Mori or when he finds them hiding inside a Locker, the most of any Killer that has special voice-lines for specific Survivors.
  • Towards Trevor, it is clear that The Dark Lord harbours but ill feelings and disdain, whereas towards Alucard, he expresses regret and loss, but also disappointment.
• Several of The Dark Lord's voice-lines reference voice-lines from other Castlevania games, specifically Symphony of the Night (1997) and Curse of Darkness (2005).

Regular Voice-Lines

Voice Line	Audio
Hooking a Survivor.
"What an emotional display."
"Destiny can be quite fun at times."
"I have waited for this moment."
"Don’t be overdramatic."
"Fascinating..."
"Stop with the theatrics."
"Try not to bleed out too quickly."
"Escape is impossible."
"Die, already."
"Don’t even try to escape."
Selecting him as the active Killer.
"The powerful always judge the weak."
"I am the Lord of Darkness!"
"The humans made their judgment of me. Thus I sentenced them to extinction."
"Destiny can be quite fun at times."
"What is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets."
"I am a creature of the night."
"Humanity is a plague that must be irradicated."
"My immortal soul is bound to the dark embrace of eternity."
"What a dark and wonderous place."
"This is… vampire heaven."
Loading into the Trial.
"I am the fury, your hate, your vengeance!"
"I will have my vengeance!"
"I will feast on blood this night!"
"The true Lord of Darkness is upon you!"
"My prey awaits."
"I smell blood!"
"The end is nigh!"
"Destiny, be done."
Killing a Survivor by his own hand.
"Insufferable little wretch!"
"Puny worm!"
"Amusing."
"Impeccable timing."
"Endless darkness awaits!"
"Your existence is but a fleeting flame."
"Die, human!"
"Die, monster!"
"Destiny calls!"
"Farewell, pathetic human."
Getting stunned.
"Better run, you fool!"
"You’re just making me angry!"
"You can't stop me!"
"Futile attempt!"

Specific to Trevor

Voice Line	Audio
Finding Trevor hiding in a Locker.
"Trevor!"
"Ahh! I did smell a Belmont!"
"Trevor! You pathetic worm!"
Hooking Trevor.
No one’s coming for you, Trevor."
"You should have stayed retired."
Seeing Trevor in his Lobby.
"We shall meet again, blood of Belmont!"
"I've been waiting for you."
"I will enjoy destroying you."
"You... I remember..."
"Belmont."
"I will give you a proper welcome."
"I smell the blood of a Belmont."
"We meet again, blood of Belmont."
"You will suffer, blood of Belmont."
"A Belmont… of course."
"Once again… a Belmont!"
"Prepare to suffer, blood of Belmont."
"Trevor!"
"Trevor... I’ll crush him like a maggot."
"Trevor Belmont… you’ll never see your family again."
"You’ll scream for death, Trevor Belmont."
"Trevor Belmont… I’ll have your head on a hook!"
"Trevor Belmont… too good to be true."
"Trevor Belmont… This I will enjoy."
Killing Trevor by his own hand.
"Die, Belmont!"
"Die, Trevor!"
"Now you suffer, Trevor Belmont!"

Specific to Alucard

Voice Line	Audio
Finding Alucard hiding in a Locker.
"Alucard!"
"I thought I smelled my own blood!"
"What a disappointment you are!"
Hooking Alucard.
"Alucard, you fool"
"Don’t scream, son, it’s embarrassing"
"It didn’t have to be this way."
Seeing Alucard in his Lobby.
"My son. It's been a long time."
"Lisa, forgive me."
"You side against me…"
"My son. Choose your friends wisely."
"Alucard… my son. You will not be spared."
"My son… you will pay for going against me."
"Alucard."
"Alucard… my son…"
Killing Alucard by his own hand.
"You were always weak"
"Your compassion for humans is what killed you"
"Farewell, my son."