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Obsession is an integral Game Mechanic in Dead by Daylight.

It was implemented with Patch 1.2.1 alongside the Perks of The Shape and Laurie Strode, the first ones to use this new mechanic before it became part of every Trial.


Overview

The Obsession Mechanic was a major part of the Perks brought into Dead by Daylight in CHAPTER 2: The HALLOWEEN® Chapter, bringing with it a then unique interplay of the Killer with their designated Obsession, akin to how in the Halloween franchise, Michael is obsessed with Laurie.


Obsession Mechanic

The Obsession mechanic designates a random Survivor as the Killer's Obsession.
The Obsession is marked by the Entity's spider-like legs surrounding the Obsession's icon in the Status HUD and announced by a global sound cue playing at the start of the Trial.

Initial Obsession

At the beginning of every Trial in Dead by Daylight, The Entity chooses a random Survivor to be the Killer's initial Obsession.

Every Trial features an initial Obsession.
If there will be any subsequent Obsessions depends on the Perks brought into the Trial.

Default Chance

The Obsession is determined immediately after loading into a Trial, when the initial camera pan concludes and Players gain control of their Character.

Every present Survivor has an equal chance of becoming the initial Obsession.
In regular ranked Trials with 4 Survivors, this creates a default chance of 25 % (1 in 4), which can be modified for an individual Survivor by certain Perks and Add-ons.

If Players load into a Custom Game and there are, for example, only 3 Survivors, then the default chance would naturally be ~33.33 % (1 in 3).

Chance Modifiers

Some Perks and Add-ons have the ability to influence The Entity's initial decision on the Killer's Obsession and will either increase the chance by +100 % or reduce it by -100 %.

Contrary to popular belief, these modifiers neither guarantee that one does become the initial 'Obsession nor that one does not.

This is because all Survivors have an equal default chance of becoming the initial Obsession (1 in 4 or 25 %) and the modifiers are applied on top of that base chance.

Switching Obsessions

Some Perks have the ability to change a Killer's Obsession under specific circumstances.
Any buffs or de-buffs associated with a previous Obsession will transfer over to the new Obsession, unless the Perk specifically mentions otherwise.

Some of those Perks are also able to assign a new Obsession when activated, if the previous Obsession has died already.

Sound Cues

Cue Condition
This Sound Cue plays when an Obsession is chosen, both at the beginning of a Trial or during it, if it changes to another Survivor.
This Sound Cue plays whenever the current Obsession is killed or sacrificed by the Killer.


Unlockables

The following Unlockables interact with the Obsession Mechanic:

Add-ons

Judith's Journal A journal identified as owned by Judith M. Myers.
Most of the pages are defaced with frightening and disturbing drawings.
  • Increases your Stalk rate on your Obsession by +40 %.


Unique Wedding Ring An engraved wedding ring that emerged from the Fog and resonates with an indescribable and incomprehensible energy.
  • The Aura of the Obsession is automatically revealed to you at all times.
    • This does not require using the Mind Channel ability.

Reduces your chance of becoming the initial Obsession by reducing the default value by -100 %.

Perks

Blood Pact Blood Pact It is as if a latent part of yourself has awakened.
You feel like you can reach out beyond yourself for assistance.

When either you or the Obsession become injured by any means, Blood Pact activates:

  • Your Auras are constantly revealed to one another.
  • Completing a Healing Action on the Obsession or having them complete one on yourself, grants both of you a 5/6/7 % Haste Status Effect.
    • This effect lasts for as long as you both remain within 16 metres of one another.
Blood Pact is temporarily disabled if you yourself are the Obsession.

Reduces your chance of becoming the initial Obsession by reducing the default value by -100 %.
The Killer can only be obsessed with one Survivor at a time.

Dark Devotion Dark Devotion The display of your Powers creates a whirlwind of panic that spreads throughout the land.

Whenever the Obsession loses a Health State by any means and thus enters the Injured State, Dark Devotion activates:

  • Your Terror Radius transfers to the Obsession for 20/25/30 seconds, and its radius is set to 32 metres.
  • Grants the Undetectable Status Effect for the same duration.

The Obsession with your transferred Terror Radius is also considered to be 'inside the Terror Radius' for other purposes.

You can only be obsessed with one Survivor at a time.

"And terror shall take hold of a defiant non-believer, who shall falsely announce my arrival." — (The Tablet of Adiris, 48.9)

Decisive Strike 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 grabbed or picked up by the Killer, succeed a Skill Check to stab the Killer and escape from their grasp.
    • Stuns the Killer for 4 seconds.
  • Causes you to become the next Obsession.
Decisive Strike is deactivated once the Exit Gates are powered.
Decisive Strike is disabled for the remainder of the Trial after use.

Decisive Strike is deactivated prematurely when performing a Conspicuous Action and remains disabled for the remainder of the Trial.

Increases your chance of becoming the initial Obsession by increasing the default value by +100 %.
The Killer can only be obsessed with one Survivor at a time.

"There is nothing to be scared of." — Laurie Strode

Dying Light Dying Light Each time you hook a Survivor other than your Obsession, you gain +1 Token:
  • For as long as the Obsession is alive, all other Survivors suffer from a stack-able 2/2.5/3 % per Token Action Speed penalty to Repairing, Healing, and Sabotaging, up to a maximum of 22/27.5/33 % or 11 Tokens.
  • The Obsession is unaffected by this penalty and instead granted a permanent +33 % Action Speed bonus to Unhooking and Healing other Survivors.

You can only be obsessed with one Survivor at a time.

"This isn't a man..." — Dr Sam Loomis

For the People For the People You risk life and injury for others.

While healthy and healing another Survivor without using a Med-Kit, press the Active Ability button to trigger the following effects:

  • Trade 1 Health State with the other Survivor:
    • Instantly heals them to the Injured State, if they were dying or suffering from the Deep Wound Status Effect.
    • Instantly heals them to full health, if they were injured.
  • You yourself become injured and suffer from the Broken Status Effect for the next 80/70/60 seconds.
  • You become the Killer's Obsession, if not already.
Reduces your chance of becoming the initial Obsession by reducing the default value by -100 %.
The Killer can only be obsessed with one Survivor at a time.

"We can write our own story and decide how it really ends." — Zarina Kassir

Friends 'til the End Friends 'til the End You will kill anyone who gets between you and your target.

When you hook any Survivors that is not the Obsession, the following effects apply to the Obsession:

  • Their Aura is revealed for 6/8/10 seconds.
  • They suffer from the Exposed Status Effect for 20 seconds.
When you hook the Obsession, the following effects apply to a random Survivor:
  • Causes the Survivor to scream and reveal their location to the Killer.
  • They become the new Obsession.
You can only be obsessed with one Survivor at a time.

"I got some fresh meat lined up, and I'm not gonna let you spoil it, not this time!" — Chucky

Furtive Chase Furtive Chase You lurk in the shadows, eliminating your victims one by one.

Each time you hook your Obsession, you benefit from the following effects for 14/16/18 seconds:

Whenever the Obsession is rescued from a Hook, their rescuer will become the new Obsession.

You can only be obsessed with one Survivor at a time.

"You have no idea what I have planned for you. It'll be in the news for weeks. I'll make sure of that." — The Ghost Face

Game Afoot Game Afoot First you pick your prey, then you pick it apart.
  • Whenever you hit the Survivor with the highest cumulative Chase time, with a Basic Attack, they become the Obsession.

While you are chasing your Obsession, Game Afoot activates its secondary effect:

You can only be obsessed with one Survivor at a time.

"This one might actually be a challenge..." — Sonhadores Sombrios, Issue #3

Grim Embrace Grim Embrace Your act of servitude to The Entity has not gone unnoticed.

Each time a Survivor is hooked for the first time, Grim Embrace gains +1 Token and activates once you are at least 16 metres away from the Hook:

  • 1-3 Tokens: Blocks all Generators for 6/8/10 seconds.
  • 4 Tokens: Blocks all Generators for 40 seconds and the Aura of the Obsession is revealed to you for 6 seconds.
"Are we nothing but prisoners to our sorrow?" — Carmina Mora
Hex: Wretched Fate 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
Mettle of Man Mettle of Man Evil has a way of always finding you.

After triggering your third Protection Hit, Mettle of Man activates:

  • While injured, Mettle of Man shields you from going down the next time you take damage.
  • Healing back to full health will reveal your Aura to the Killer whenever you are farther than 12/14/16 metres from them.

Mettle of Man deactivates the next time you are put into the Dying State.

Increases your chance of becoming the initial Obsession by increasing the default value by +100 %.

The Killer can only be obsessed with one Survivor at a time.

"Evil has a bullseye on my back the size of Tiger Stadium." — Ash Williams

Nemesis Nemesis You seek retribution on those who have wronged you.

  • Any Survivor who blinds you or stuns you using a Pallet or a Locker becomes the Obsession.
  • Anytime your Obsession switches to another Survivor by any means, that Survivor then suffers from the Oblivious Status Effect for 40/50/60 seconds and their Aura is revealed to you for 4 seconds.

You can only be obsessed with one Survivor at a time.

"Only a fool would spit in a demon's face and declare victory." — Renjiro's Doctrine 4:9

Object of Obsession Object of Obsession A supernatural bond links you to the Killer.

Whenever the Killer reads your Aura, Object of Obsession activates for the same duration as their Aura-reading action:

  • The Aura of the Killer is revealed to you.
  • Increases your Action speeds for Cleansing, Healing, and Repairing actions by 2/4/6 %.
If you are the Killer's current Obsession, the following effect triggers automatically every 30 seconds:
  • Your Aura is revealed to the Killer for 3 seconds.
Increases your chance of becoming the initial Obsession by increasing the default value by +100 %.
The Killer can only be obsessed with one Survivor at a time.

"He was watching me!" — Laurie Strode

Play with Your Food Play with Your Food Each time you chase your Obsession and let them escape, Play with Your Food gains +1 Token, up to a maximum of 3 Tokens.
  • Grants a stack-able 3/4/5 % Haste Status Effect per Token, up to a maximum of 9/12/15 %.

Performing Basic Attacks, or Special Attacks that can damage Survivors, consumes -1 Token.

Play with Your Food has a cool-down of 10 seconds on Token-accumulation.

You can only be obsessed with one Survivor at a time.

"You've fooled them, haven't you Michael? But not me." — Dr Sam Loomis

Rancor Rancor Each time a Generator is completed, the following effects apply:
  • Reveals your Aura to the Obsession for 5/4/3 seconds.
  • All Survivors' locations are revealed to you for 3 seconds.

Once the Exit Gates are powered, the following effects apply:

  • You are granted the ability to kill the Obsession by your own hand.
  • The Obsession suffers from a permanent Exposed Status Effect.

You can only be obsessed with one Survivor at a time.

Remember Me Remember Me Whenever the Obsession loses a Health State by any means, Remember Me gains +1 Token, up to a maximum of 2/3/4 Tokens:
  • Increases the Opening time for both Exit Gates by +6 seconds per Token, up to a maximum of 12/18/24 seconds, for all Survivors other than the Obsession.
    • The Obsession is exempt from this penalty.

You can only be obsessed with one Survivor at a time.

"You don't remember? You must. You're my number one, and you'll never wake up again." — Freddy Krueger

Save the Best for Last Save the Best for Last Whenever you hit a Survivor other than your Obsession with a Basic Attack, Save the Best for Last gains +1 Token, up to a maximum of 6/7/8 Tokens:
  • Grants a stack-able -4 % Cool-down reduction on successful Basic Attacks per Token, up to a maximum of 24/28/32 %.

Whenever you hit your Obsession with a Basic or Special Attack, Save the Best for Last loses -2 Tokens.

  • When the Obsession is sacrificed or killed, Save the Best for Last freezes its current Token count.

You can only be obsessed with one Survivor at a time.

"Death has come to your little town, Sheriff." — Dr Sam Loomis

Sole Survivor Sole Survivor As more of your friends fall to the Killer, you become shrouded in isolation and the Killer's Aura-reading abilities towards you are disrupted.

Each time a Survivor other than yourself is killed or sacrificed, Sole Survivor gains 1 Token, up to a maximum of 3 Tokens:

  • Grants a stack-able radius of 20/22/24 metres per Token around you, up to a maximum of 60/66/72 metres, within which you are immune to the Killer's Aura-reading abilities.
When you are the Last Survivor Standing, you benefit from the following effects:
  • Increases your Repair speed by +75 %.
  • Increases your Gate and Hatch Opening speeds by +50 %.
Increases your chance of becoming the initial Obsession by increasing the default value by +100 %.

The Killer can only be obsessed with one Survivor at a time.

"It was the boogeyman." — Laurie Strode


Change Log

Patch 2.1.0

  • Quality of Life: the Obsession Status is no longer hidden from the other Survivors until after the Obsession's death.

Patch 4.7.0

  • Quality of Life: all Trials feature an Obsession now, regardless of the presence of Obsession Perks.


Trivia

  • Even though some Perks trigger the Obsession Mechanic, they do not necessarily benefit from it.
  • Before Patch 3.2.0, which introduced the Unique Wedding Ring Add-on for Keys, there was no way to lower one's chance of being the initial Obsession.
  • Before Patch 4.7.0, the Perk Nemesis was the only Unlockable using the Obsession mechanic that would not cause Dead by Daylight to choose a Survivor as the Killer's initial Obsession.
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