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IconHelp scratchMarks

Scratch Marks are an essential Game Mechanic featured in Dead by DaylightIconHelp DBDlogo.


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 FixatedIconPerks 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.


Unlockables[]

A couple of Perks can affect the behaviour of Scratch Marks:

Babysitter Babysitter While you have a reputation for being self-centred, you risk it all to help those in need.

When you unhook a SurvivorIconHelpLoading survivor, the AuraIconHelp auras of the Killer is revealed to you for 8 seconds and the unhooked Survivor benefits from the following effects for 4/6/8 seconds:

  • Suppresses their Scratch MarksIconHelp scratchMarks and Pools of BloodIconStatusEffects bleeding.
  • Increases their HasteIconStatusEffects haste Status Effect by +7 %.
"I promised to keep you shitheads safe, and that's exactly what I plan on doing." — Steve Harrington
Boon: Shadow Step 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 TotemAtl Hud Icon BoonTotem.
Soft chimes ring out in a radius of 24 metres.

All Survivors benefit from the following effects when inside the Boon Totem's radius:

  • Scratch MarksIconHelp scratchMarks are suppressed.
  • AurasIconHelp auras are hidden from The Killer.
    • Both effects linger for 2/3/4 seconds after leaving the Boon Totem's range.
Only one Totem can be blessed by your Boon Perks at a time and all of their effects are active on the same Boon Totem.

"Stick to the shadows and cover your tracks." — Mikaela Reid

Dance With Me Dance With Me When performing a Rush Vault action or when rushing out of a LockerIconHelp lockers, you will not leave any Scratch MarksIconHelp scratchMarks for the next 3 seconds.

Dance With Me has a cool-down of 60/50/40 seconds.

"Another show's off and runnin',
Dance with me, cuz there's a storm a commin'
Follow my boots, try to keep up,
Dance with me, until sun up." — Kate Denson's "Dance with Me"

Deception Deception Your adventurous lifestyle requires moments of crafty misdirection.

Interacting with a LockerIconHelp lockers while holding the Sprint button has the following effects:

  • You do not enter the Locker.
  • The Locker's doors swing open and close swiftly, feining a Survivor entering it.
  • Triggers a Loud Noise Notification at the Locker's location, feining a Survivor rushing to enter it.
  • Suppresses the creation of Scratch MarksIconHelp scratchMarks and Pools of BloodIconStatusEffects bleeding for 3 seconds.
Deception has a cool-down of 60/50/40 seconds.
Distortion Distortion Start the Trial with 3 Tokens.

Whenever the Killer attempts to read your AuraIconHelp auras, Distortion activates, consuming 1 Token, and the following effects apply:

  • Blocks your Aura from being read for the next 6/8/10 seconds.
  • Suppresses the creation of Scratch MarksIconHelp scratchMarks for the next 6/8/10 seconds.
For every 30 seconds you are within the Killer's Terror RadiusIconHelp terrorRadius, Distortion recharges 1 Token.

Distortion cannot accumulate more Tokens than its initial count.

Distortion does not activate when you are in the Dying StateIconHelp dying.

"Death Fooled by the Cloak of Falcon Feathers.
Sketch inspired by a few sleepless nights during winter. Exploration of Norse mythology: bravery can conceal your flaws, even when you are at your most vulnerable." — Jeff, pencil on tone paper, 12x12

Diversion Diversion After being within the Killer's Terror RadiusIconHelp terrorRadius for 40/35/30 seconds without being chased, Diversion activates:
  • Press the Active Ability button while crouched and motionless to throw a pebble, creating a distraction for the Killer at a distance of 20 metres from your location.

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 Fixated When you have a goal in mind, there is no turning back; better to ask forgiveness than permission.
  • Increases your Walking speed by 10/15/20 %.
  • Unlocks the ability to see your own Scratch MarksIconHelp scratchMarks.

"I wanna finish what we started. I want to kill it." — Nancy Wheeler

Inner Focus Inner Focus You have honed your ability to see through the haze of the Ravage.
  • You can see the Scratch MarksIconHelp scratchMarks of other Survivors.
  • Whenever another Survivor loses a Health StateIconStatusEffects healing within 32 metres of you, the Killer's AuraIconHelp auras is revealed to you for 3/4/5 seconds.

"The death, the trauma, the fear... it all leads here. The Overlap." — Haddie Kaur, Ravages of the Abyss Episode 11

Lightweight Lightweight Your running is light and soft, making your tracks harder to follow.
  • Reduces the duration of your Scratch MarksIconHelp scratchMarks by 3/4/5 seconds.
  • Reduces the Spawn chance of patches of Scratch Marks by -60 %, making their spacing inconsistent.

"Take it slow, he knows where you have been... just like I have always said:
'live slow and die old'." — Dylan, The Lost Tapes

Low Profile 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 StateIconHelp dying, hooked, or already dead, Low Profile activates:

  • Suppresses your Pools of BloodIconStatusEffects bleeding, Scratch MarksIconHelp scratchMarks, and Grunts of Pain for 70/80/90 seconds.
Lucky Break Lucky Break You have had your share of scrapes and bruises, but luck is always on your side.

Whenever you are in the Injured StateIconHelp injured, Lucky Break activates:

  • Suppresses your Pools of BloodIconStatusEffects bleeding and Scratch MarksIconHelp scratchMarks for a maximum of 40/50/60 seconds, after which Lucky Break deactivates.

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 HealthyIconHelp healthy or in the Dying StateIconHelp dying.

"That's not enough to beat me.
Not even close." — Yui Kimura

Parental Guidance Parental Guidance You have inherited the ability to hear the dead — and now the dead warn you of danger.
  • After stunning the Killer by any means, Parental Guidance suppresses your Scratch MarksIconHelp scratchMarks, Pools of BloodIconStatusEffects bleeding, and Grunts of Pain for the next 5/6/7 seconds.


Poised Poised Achieving goals boosts your confidence.

After a GeneratorIconHelpLoading generators is completed, you will not leave any Scratch MarksIconHelp scratchMarks for the next 6/8/10 seconds.
"Ok, stay calm. Don't overthink it and just keep moving forward: you got this." — Jane Romero

Predator Predator Your acute tracking ability allows you to hone in on disturbances left by running Survivors.
  • The Scratch MarksIconHelp scratchMarks left by SurvivorsIconHelpLoading survivor spawn slightly/moderately/considerably closer together.

"Never stop moving and hope you're always two steps ahead of the beast." — Unknown, Notebook

Self-Preservation Self-Preservation Life is unforgiving.

The more confirmation you get of that, the more prepared you become.
Whenever another Survivor is hit with a Basic Attack or Special Attack within 16 metres of you, Self-Preservation activates:

  • Scratch MarksIconHelp scratchMarks, Grunts of Pain when injured, and BleedingIconStatusEffects bleeding are suppressed for the next 6/8/10 seconds.

"Something I learnt in the industry: when the axe is swinging, keep your head down." — Yun-Jin Lee

Teamwork: Collective Stealth 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:

  • Suppresses your Scratch MarksIconHelp scratchMarks for as long as you stay within 12 metres of one another or one of you loses a Health StateIconStatusEffects healing.

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
Spawn behaviour with LightweightIconPerks lightweight III Spawn behaviour with PredatorIconPerks predator III
Default spawn behaviour
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