Scratch Marks are an essential Game Mechanic featured in Dead by Daylight.
Behaviour[]
Scratch Marks are created whenever a Survivor is running across the Trial Grounds (or when reaching at least 60 % of their default Movement speed while the sprint button is pressed).
Scratch Marks trail after Survivors and spawn in chunks. They betray the general location of a Survivor and the direction they are headed in to the Killer, who can see the Scratch Marks at all times.
Survivors cannot see their own Scratch Marks unless they use the Perk Fixated.
Scratch Marks are the main mechanic by which a Killer can track a Survivor's movement. There are few means to prevent Scratch Marks from spawning, only to alter their behaviour.
Scratch Marks start to fade in their brightness after a few moments and disappear completely after a few seconds, meaning that if the Killer sees Scratch Marks around, there will definitely be a Survivor close-by.
Spawning[]
Scratch Marks can spawn on all surfaces as long as they are within the spawn radius. If a Survivor runs close enough to a wall, a tall rock, a structure or even just the trees spawning throughout the Map, the Scratch Marks will spawn on their surface, which makes them visible from a considerable distance away for the Killer, allowing an attentive Killer to spot a Survivor's general location from across the Map.
Statistics[]
- Scratch Marks last for 10 seconds by default.
- Full brightness is reached after 1 second.
- Full brightness is maintained for 8 seconds.
- Fade-out takes 1 second to complete.
- However, on lighter surfaces, Scratch Marks appear to start the fading process up to ~4 seconds sooner, due to the fact that the initial fading is more noticeable in effect on light textures.
The fading time remains the same.
- However, on lighter surfaces, Scratch Marks appear to start the fading process up to ~4 seconds sooner, due to the fact that the initial fading is more noticeable in effect on light textures.
Unlockables[]
A couple of Perks can affect the behaviour of Scratch Marks:
Babysitter | While you have a reputation for being self-centred, you risk it all to help those in need.
When you unhook a Survivor, the Aura of the Killer is revealed to you for 8 seconds and the unhooked Survivor benefits from the following effects for 4/6/8 seconds:
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Boon: Shadow Step | A Boon that conceals the truth. Press and hold the Active Ability button on a Dull or Hex Totem to bless it and create a Boon Totem. All Survivors benefit from the following effects when inside the Boon Totem's radius:
"Stick to the shadows and cover your tracks." — Mikaela Reid | |
Dance With Me | When performing a Rush Vault action or when rushing out of a Locker, you will not leave any Scratch Marks for the next 3 seconds.
Dance With Me has a cool-down of 60/50/40 seconds. "Another show's off and runnin', | |
Deception | Your adventurous lifestyle requires moments of crafty misdirection.
Interacting with a Locker while holding the Sprint button has the following effects:
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Distortion | Start the Trial with 3 Tokens.
Whenever the Killer attempts to read your Aura, Distortion activates, consuming 1 Token, and the following effects apply:
Distortion cannot accumulate more Tokens than its initial count. Distortion does not activate when you are in the Dying State. "Death Fooled by the Cloak of Falcon Feathers. | |
Diversion | After being within the Killer's Terror Radius for 40/35/30 seconds without being chased, Diversion activates:
The distraction consists of the following:
Diversion deactivates after use and resets its timer. "There's what is easy and then there's what is right. If you confuse the two, there's no telling what you become." — Adam Francis | |
Fixated | When you have a goal in mind, there is no turning back; better to ask forgiveness than permission.
"I wanna finish what we started. I want to kill it." — Nancy Wheeler | |
Inner Focus | You have honed your ability to see through the haze of the Ravage.
"The death, the trauma, the fear... it all leads here. The Overlap." — Haddie Kaur, Ravages of the Abyss Episode 11 | |
Lightweight | Your running is light and soft, making your tracks harder to follow.
"Take it slow, he knows where you have been... just like I have always said: | |
Low Profile | You work best alone. When it is just you and your pursuer, you know how to disappear. Whenever you are the only Survivor in the Trial, who is not either in the Dying State, hooked, or already dead, Low Profile activates:
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Lucky Break | You have had your share of scrapes and bruises, but luck is always on your side.
Whenever you are in the Injured State, Lucky Break activates:
Each 1 second spent healing another Survivor recharges Lucky Break by 1 second up to its maximum Effect duration. Lucky Break also deactivates whenever you are Healthy or in the Dying State. "That's not enough to beat me. | |
Parental Guidance | You have inherited the ability to hear the dead — and now the dead warn you of danger.
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Poised | Achieving goals boosts your confidence. After a Generator is completed, you will not leave any Scratch Marks for the next 6/8/10 seconds. | |
Predator | Your acute tracking ability allows you to hone in on disturbances left by running Survivors.
"Never stop moving and hope you're always two steps ahead of the beast." — Unknown, Notebook | |
Self-Preservation | Life is unforgiving. The more confirmation you get of that, the more prepared you become.
"Something I learnt in the industry: when the axe is swinging, keep your head down." — Yun-Jin Lee | |
Teamwork: Collective Stealth | When someone helps you out, you respond in kind.
Whenever another Survivor finishes healing you, Teamwork: Collective Stealth activates, and both you and the Survivor who healed you benefit from the following effect:
Teamwork: Collective Stealth has a cool-down of 180/160/140 seconds. Survivors can only be affected by one instance of Teamwork: Collective Stealth at a time. "I'm good, I'm good... but keep it down." — Renato Lyra |
Trivia[]
- While it is possible to reach walking Movement speeds above 60 % when using Perks, Scratch Marks will not be created due to the additional sprint-button requirement.
Videos[]
General Spawn behaviour | Spawn behaviour in the distance |
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Spawn behaviour with Lightweight III | Spawn behaviour with Predator III |
Default spawn behaviour | |