| The Houndmaster | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name | Portia Maye |
| Gender | Woman |
| Origin | Caribbean |
| Power | Scent of Blood |
| Weapon | Deadly Cane |
Movement Speed   |
115 % | 4.6 m/s |
| Alternate Movement speed | 150 % | 6 m/s (Slipstream) |
Terror Radius  |
32 metres |
| Lullaby Radius | 32 metres (The Dog (Search Command)) |
Height   |
Average |
| DLC | CHAPTER 34: Doomed Course |
| Voice Actor | TBA |
| Cost | 9,000 Iridescent Shards  
500 Auric Cells |
| CharID | K38 |
| Theme Filename | Doomed Course_Theme_Music.ogg |
Portia Maye or "The Houndmaster" is one of 38 Killers
currently featured in Dead by Daylight
.
She was introduced as the Killer of CHAPTER 34: Doomed Course, a Chapter DLC scheduled for release on 28 November 2024.
Overview[]
The Houndmaster is a force to be feared, with an equally fearsome dog at her side.
Her personal Perks, All-Shaking Thunder
, Scourge Hook: Jagged Compass
, and No Quarter
, help her increase her lunge attack distance, create scourge hooks, and overwhelm Survivors with healing Skill Checks.
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[]
Portia Maye's father helped found a prosperous settlement of sailors and merchants on an uncharted island in the Caribbean. They called their port town Fortune and created a vast trading network which exposed Portia to cultures and knowledge from around the world. As a sailor and lover of stories, Portia's father read her the Arabian Nights, Shakespeare and Greek mythology, and he instructed her in sailing and celestial navigation. To be sure, he instilled within her a love for adventure so that she always wanted to travel with him.
Once she accompanied her father on a trip to Italy where he traded sugar and silver for rare silks and spices. There they also acquired a litter of Corso puppies which her father said they would train as hunting dogs for Fortune's yearly hunting games. He also mentioned she could keep the strongest of the litter for her upcoming twelfth birthday. She named the pups Caeser, King, Shah, Athena, and the runt of the bunch-Snug. But before she could begin their training, a violent storm pushed Nightsdream off course into an area controlled by freebooters.
Desperately, her father tried to steer the ship to safety, but the dreaded Mad Molak attacked them with his ships and took Nightsdream quickly. Those who survived the initial attack were pitted against each other in vicious fights that Molak and his crew would wager on. The brigand promised that the last man standing would be let go.
When Portia's father refused to participate, the most vicious of Molak's men, his son, Tariq, tortured him for hours and finally-
Slit his throat.
Keeping Portia alive to get past Fortune's outer defenses, Molak and Tariq returned to their sloop and left a skeleton crew on Nightsdream. Portia would lead them into Fortune and, once inside, Molak and his raiders would attack, pillage and burn their beloved town to the ground.
Using her skills in celestial navigation, Portia led them off-course through an area that many claimed to be cursed. Known as the Dragon's Tooth, some believed the area bled into the dark malignant domain of some ineffable evil where monsters roamed. Portia hoped to lead Molak to his doom and if she perished in the effort, so be it.
As she approached the Dragon's Tooth, dark clouds accumulated, and a cold black fog surrounded them. Sheets of rain fell, and a fierce wind roared down on the ship, creating black mountains that crashed over the mast.
Instantly, Molak and his ship turned away from the storm and left her to perish. But Portia refused to surrender as Nightsdream plowed through the thick fog and lightning. Her heart thundered in her chest as the ship creaked and groaned and slowly capsized. The last thing she saw before the ocean swallowed her whole was the silhouette of a giant tentacle crashing down on them.
Portia opened her blurry eyes to see Snug staring down at her. He licked her face and barked for her to get up. Blinking the saltwater out of her eyes, she pushed her aching and bruised body from the ground but collapsed onto the strange purple sand. She had never seen anything like it before.
With difficulty, she gathered herself, stood, and turned to face the runt. Snug barked twice and began sniffing the ground, leading her to a cluster of coconuts and purple seaweed. She dried out the seaweed, cracked the coconuts, and ate on the rocks, quietly listening to creatures she had never heard before and suddenly realized-
They were marooned on an island in the Dragon's Tooth.
They were in a strange world, an in-between world, a world her father had once described as a living nightmare that tortured the mind and played with the heart. And as she listened to these strange new sounds, she suddenly saw Molak everywhere.
Instinctively, Portia closed her eyes and shrieked and only stopped when Snug jumped into her lap, returning her to the moment with a crescendo of barks.
Over the years, Portia survived on whatever washed ashore as she battled the predators that stalked the island. Ferocious animals, vicious humans, and savage abominations not of this world. Snug now weighed over a hundred pounds and followed Portia everywhere. Together they made a daunting pair and most of the survivors on the island kept their distance. The few who didn't lived to regret it if they lived at all. And just when she was about to give up on the idea of escaping, she spotted an impossible thing while searching the beach for Snug. To her disbelief, she saw-
Nightsdream drifting offshore in the cold, black fog.
She knew better than to doubt or question anything on this island. With a whistle she entered the water but was suddenly attacked by a group of castaways. In her mind, she slaughtered Molak fifty times and spared only those she needed to crew her ship. Together they spent days searching for Snug, but he was nowhere to be found. He was-
Gone.
Gone, as if he had never been-as if he had only been a figment of her imagination.
For decades Portia terrorized the Caribbean as she searched for Molak. She only attacked freebooters, taking their gold and torturing them sadistically to satiate some intangible darkness living within her. A darkness like a parasite that demanded blood until it had its fill.
On the occasions Portia couldn't appease its hunger, the parasite would squeeze her mind with its deadly talons, crushing reason and reality until she would see Molak's face on every crewmember. She would attack and butcher everyone and anyone until one of her many trusted guard dogs barked for her to stop and-
Molak would suddenly dematerialize into wisps of black fog.
Terrified, the crew knew it was just a matter of time before her madness turned against them. And so, even when they finally located Molak, they conspired to mutiny.
But they had underestimated their captain.
By the time Portia was through with them there were only five left standing in a pool of blood and gore. They instantly threw themselves on her mercy as her dogs surrounded them waiting for the kill command that never came.
Destroying Molak would take more hands than she possessed. Gathering her wits, she ordered the mutineers to clean up the deck and feed her dogs as she steered Nightsdream toward Mad Molak's Island.
Molak himself was out on the high seas, but Portia's crew captured Tariq and locked him up in preparation for his father's return.
When Molak returned, he found the island deserted apart from a woman offering chests of gold and jewels. She claimed she wanted to join Molak's crew and had prepared an amazing feast for him and his men. Not recognizing her, Molak accepted the treasure and asked about Tariq. She smiled and assured him his son would be joining them for dinner.
Portia served Molak an elaborate meal and he drank and ate with gusto. The meat was especially good, roasted crisp and black on the outside and pink and juicy on the inside. He wanted to know if it was wild boar or venison.
Portia smiled, stood proudly and reached over the table and lifted a golden food cover to reveal Tariq's decapitated, glazed head frozen in a scream of terror, the mouth vomiting bullion and jewels.
Molak roared his anguish like a wounded bull, and she reveled in his torment as a thick black fog rose from the floor like a black veil. But before she could strike Molak down, something unseen jerked him backward into the darkness.
At once her laughter died. Lips curled with mingled panic and rage. Veins in her neck stood out in livid ridges. Talons gripped her mind and squeezed and refused to let go. He was gone! Gone! Gone before she could stomp his head into a bloody pulp.
Unintelligible words fumbled out of her mouth and degenerated into a guttural rasp. And just as she was about to scream, she heard the impossible. A bark. A bark she hadn't heard in years.
She heard it, again.
And again.
Snug!
He had Molak's scent.
Not trying to understand what could not be understood, she charged into the fog to finish what she started with her long, lost friend.
Load-out[]
Unique Perks[]
The Houndmaster comes with 3 Perks
that are unique to her:
 |
All-Shaking Thunder | Enemies on land and sea learned to tremble before your might.
After falling from a height, All-Shaking Thunder activates for 8/12/16 seconds:
"Go on. Run. Tell your friends I'm coming for them." — Portia Maye |
|---|---|---|
 |
No Quarter | Every skirmish ended with a relentless volley of cannon fire, leaving no doubt who was superior.
Whenever a Survivor healing themselves by any means reaches 75 % Healing Progress, No Quarter triggers its effect:
"Fire another broadside! Don't stop until the sea takes them!" — Portia Maye |
 |
Scourge Hook: Jagged Compass | Sometimes the compass points north. Other times it points somewhere else entirely.
At the start of the Trial, 4 random Hooks are changed into Scourge Hooks:
Whenever a Survivor is unhooked from a normal Hook, the following effect applies:
"Drop anchor! I will chart us a new course." — Portia Maye |
Prestige[]
Prestiging The Houndmaster will automatically add Tier I of her 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 Houndmaster twice more to automatically add Tier II and Tier III respectively into the other Killers' inventories.
Weapon: Deadly Cane[]
The Deadly Cane is the Primary Weapon of The Houndmaster.
Her desire for revenge went unfulfilled, as her father's killer disappeared into the darkness.
Power: Scent of Blood[]
"The Houndmaster and her dog operate as one.
Her commands are followed without question or delay."
SPECIAL COMPANION: THE DOG
The Houndmaster sees the Aura
of The Dog at all times.
SPECIAL INTERACTION: PET DOG
Press the Interaction button while standing near The Dog to pet it.
SPECIAL INTERACTION: SWITCH COMMAND
Press the Secondary Power button to switch between the Chase Command and the Search Command.
SPECIAL ABILITY: CHASE
Press and hold the Power button to initiate the Chase Command, charting the Chase Path in front of you that The Dog will follow:
Press the Attack button to send The Dog out at high speed or release the Power button to cancel the ability.
SPECIAL ABILITY: REDIRECT CHASE
Press the Power button after sending out The Dog to temporarily take possession of it:
Press the Attack button to redirect the Chase Path or press the Secondary Power button to cancel the redirect altogether.
SPECIAL INTERACTION: DOG GRAB
When The Dog comes across a Survivor in its path, it pounces and grabs onto them:
- Causes the Grabbed Survivor to suffer from a -3 % Hindered
Status Effect and the Incapacitated Status Effect. - Causes the Grabbed Survivor to slowly be pulled towards The Houndmaster for a maximum of 8 seconds, after which they are released again.
- This duration is reduced to 2 seconds, if the Grabbed Survivor is protected by the Endurance Status Effect.
- This duration is reduced to 2 seconds, if the Grabbed Survivor is protected by the Endurance
- Causes the Exit Gates to be blocked for the Grabbed Survivor.
- This effect lingers for 5 seconds after being released.
- The Aura of the Grabbed Survivor is revealed to The Houndmaster in red.
The Grabbed Survivor can fight against the pull by moving in opposite directions and potentially steer The Dog towards nearby Pallets
.
The Grabbed Survivor can free themselves sooner by stunning The Dog or being rescued by another Survivor interacting with it:
- The Auras of upright Pallets within 16 metres of the Grabbed Survivor are revealed to them in yellow.
- Dropping a Pallet onto The Dog stuns it for 3 seconds and triggers Killer Instinct for 5 seconds.
If the Grabbed Survivor is released without injury by any means, they continue to suffer from a -10 % Hindered Status Effect for 5 seconds.
SPECIAL ABILITY: SEARCH 
Press and hold the Power button to initiate the Search Command, sending out a beacon in front of you that marks the Target Location of The Dog:
Press the Attack button to send The Dog out along a Search Path towards the Target Location or release the Power button to cancel the ability.
While searching, The Dog has its own Lullaby of 32 metres and uses its Houndsense to locate nearby Survivors:
- Increases the radius of the Houndsense based on the distance The Dog travels along the Search Path.
- Causes Survivors entering its radius to become affected by Houndsense and trigger Killer Instinct.
- This effect lingers for 2 seconds after leaving the radius.
- Increases the Movement speed of The Houndmaster to 5.2 m/s after travelling along the Search Path for a certain distance.
- This effect lasts for as long as she remains on or close to the Search Path and ends once The Dog returns to her side.
SPECIAL EFFECT: HOUNDSENSE
Survivors affected by Houndsense experience either of the following effects:
- Healthy Survivors after entering the Injured State:
- Suffer from the Deep Wound Status Effect upon becoming injured.
- Suffer from the Deep Wound
- Injured Survivors after entering the Dying State:
- Increases the volume of their Grunts of Pain.
- Increases the duration of their Pools of Blood.
Power Trivia[]
Movement Speeds:
- Walking (The Houndmaster): 4.6 m/s
- Slipstream-Walking (The Houndmaster): 6.0 m/s
- Walking (The Dog): 40 m/s
- Applies regardless of whether it is following the Killer, chasing a Survivor, patrolling the Search Path or returning from it.
- Pouncing (The Dog): 50 m/s
Chase Command:
- Power triggered cool-down: 5 seconds
- Power cancelled cool-down: 1 second
Search Command:
- Power triggered cool-down: 5 seconds
- Power cancelled cool-down: 1 second
- Target Location minimum distance: 5 metres
- Target Location maximum distance: 40 metres
Slipstream:
The mechanic that unlocks a Movement Speed after walking along the Search Path is internally referred to as Slipstream.
Walking along the Search Path grants The Houndmaster so-called Slipstream points at a given rate per travelled metre.
Once she reaches a specific threshold, she is granted the Movement Speed bonus.
- Slipstream range: 1.1 metres
- The Houndmaster must remain within this distance of the Search Path in order to gain Slipstream points.
Going beyond it causes her to lose them.
- The Houndmaster must remain within this distance of the Search Path in order to gain Slipstream points.
- Slipstream gain rate: +0.215 pts/m (distance-based, unit might be incorrect, needs verification)
- Slipstream lose rate: -65 pts/s (time-based)
- Slipstream threshold: 100 pts
- Reaching this threshold grants the Movement Speed bonus.
Dog (General):
- Pet-the-Dog interaction duration: 5.5 seconds
- Stun duration: 3 seconds
- Post-Stun Killer Instinct duration: 5 seconds
- Chase Path maximum deviation: 2 metres
- The maximum distance it can deviate from a straight line to circumvent small obstacles.
- Follow distance: 3.25 metres
- The distance The Dog tries to stay in front of the Killer while following her.
- Collision radius: 0.5 metres
- Applies while chasing and pouncing.
- Vault durations:
- while following: 0.9 seconds
- while chasing: 0.45 seconds
- Pre-Vault turn-to-face durations:
- while following: 0.3 seconds
- while chasing: 0.015 seconds
Dog (Chase Command):
- Pull-cycles: 3 seconds each
- How long it takes The Dog to complete a pull-cycle while pulling a Survivor towards the Killer.
- Maximum Pull-duration: 8 seconds
- Maximum Endurance Pull-duration: 2 seconds
- Recall Cool-down: 4 seconds
- Interaction Charge time to free a Grabbed Survivor: 0.65 seconds
- Aura-reveal range to upright Pallets: 16 metres
- Applies to the Grabbed Survivor.
- Aura-reveal range to other Survivors: 20 metres
- Applies to the Grabbed Survivor and nearby other Survivors, prompting them to help.
- Hindered strength while grabbed: -3 %
- Hindered strength after uninjured release: -10 %
- Duration: 5 seconds
- Gate Blocker Linger duration: 5 seconds
Dog (Search Command):
- Linger duration: 3 seconds
- Houndsense radius (initial): 1.5 centimetres
- Houndsense radius (eventual): 5 metres
- This size is reached after The Dog is at least 80 metres away from the Killer (unit might be incorrect, needs verification).
- Killer Effect duration after detecting a Survivor: 45 seconds
- Extension if a down was prevented by Endurance: +20 seconds
- Idle Taunt Charge time: 4 seconds
- Can be used by Survivors to taunt The Dog during a Patrol if idle.
- Pre-Pounce turn-to-face duration: 0.2 seconds
- How long it takes The Dog to turn to face a taunting Survivor before Pouncing.
- Pounce charge duration 0.6 seconds
- How long it takes The Dog to initiate a Pounce.
- Pounce range: 20 metres
- Pounce speed: 50 m/s
Add-ons for Scent of Blood[]
| Icon | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
 |
Creature's Bone | It was unlike anything she'd ever seen, and the marrow in its bones was delectable.
|
 |
Sticky Pitch | A vital commodity for keeping a ship in tip-top shape.
|
 |
Trainer's Book | Some of the advice contained within helped strengthen their bond.
|
 |
Young Coconut | Her first meal as a castaway, she shared it with her loyal companion.
|
 |
Barley Meal | The key ingredient for a bland but reinvigorating porridge.
|
 |
Belaying Pins | Ideal for holding rope, securing knots, and rigging sails.
|
 |
Knotted Rope | The dog's jaws tightened around the makeshift toy, and he thrashed it back and forth.
|
 |
Smoked Snapper | A protein-packed foodstuff, preserved to ensure its quality over long expeditions.
|
 |
Spyglass | Used to spot what one is looking for, no matter how far away.
|
 |
Fatty Meat | A strange and irresistible treat for a canine friend.
|
 |
Spiked Collar | A dangerous accessory worn by dogs sent to battle.
|
 |
Training Bell | Even over great distances, it will notify a dog exactly where their owner is.
|
 |
Unfinished Map | Features details on the area that would come to be known as the Bermuda Triangle.
|
 |
Waterskin | She gave him the last of her water, knowing he needed the strength to hunt.
|
 |
Gunpowder Tin | Useful for all manner of explosive schemes.
|
 |
Leather Harness | Allows greater control over a dog's every movement.
Whenever a Generator
|
 |
Marlinspike | As good for unsplicing rope as it is for causing grievous bodily harm.
|
 |
Ship Figurehead | A trophy torn from the bow of another ship.
The Terror Radius
|
 |
Iridescent Wheel Handle | Once used to guide a greast vessel across the open seas, its remnants now serve as a memory of times past.
"I fear no obstacle, be it man or storm." — Portia Maye |
 |
Torn Novel | A book given to her by her father. All but destroyed after a raid. While possessing The Dog during the Chase Command to access the Redirect Chase ability, the following effect applies:
|
Achievements[]
There is 1 Achievement related to The Houndmaster:
| Icon | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| File:Ach adeptHoundmaster.jpg | Adept Houndmaster | Playing as The Houndmaster, achieve a Merciless Victory using only her 3 Unique Perks: All-Shaking Thunder, Scourge Hook: Jagged Compass, and No Quarter |
Cosmetic Options[]
Players can choose from a variety of Cosmetic options to customise The Houndmaster:
Default[]
Template:Houndmaster's Default Cosmetics
Prestige[]
Template:Houndmaster's Prestige Cosmetics
Perk Charms[]
| Prestige Level 7 Reward | Prestige Level 8 Reward | Prestige Level 9 Reward |
|---|---|---|
| A keepsake gained upon mastery of a particular skill. | ||
DLC[]
The Houndmaster is part of 1 DLC:
Trivia[]
- The Houndmaster might be friends with The Clown, as indicated by one of her unique voice-lines when killing Jake Park, mentioning taking his fingers for a pal.
- The Clown is well-known to collect a Survivor's finger after killing them and always wearing a key-chain on his belt with several fingers on it already.
- The Houndmaster is aware of the roles some of the oldest original Survivors play in the Trials, featuring unique voice-lines for each when killing them.
- Like The Good Guy, she also knows who Nicolas Cage is.
- Like The Good Guy
- The Houndmaster is the third killer to have miniature power icons next to the primary power icon
- The miniature power icon is used to display changing between the Chase and Search command
Voice-Lines[]
- The Houndmaster is the ninth Killer to actively speak during Trials.
Voice-Line References[]
- The Houndmaster has several unique voice-lines when killing any of the four original Survivors (Dwight Fairfield, Meg Thomas, Claudette Morel, and Jake Park), as well as Nea Karlsson, David King, and Nicolas Cage.
- In those voice-lines, she makes direct references to their roles in the Trials, as well as their personal preferences and known character traits, revealing a deep knowledge of who they are, making her unique amongst Killers.
- The Houndmaster also has several unique voice-line referencing Jonesy, when Ellen Ripley is present in the Lobby.
- Most aim to calm The Dog, who grows agitated at the presence of the cat and snarls at it.
- One is aimed directly at Jonesy, however, goading it to come and meet The Dog.
Gallery[]
In-game assets[]
The Houndmaster
The Houndmaster (Portrait render)
The Houndmaster (Background image)
Official art[]
- K38 promoArtwork.png
Promo Artwork for The Houndmaster
