Totems

Totems are Props and a Game Mechanic that were added to Dead by Daylight with Patch 1.3.0.

Overview

There are three types of Totems: Dull Totems, Hex Totems, and Boon Totem.
Each Map spawns with 5 Totems distributed randomly throughout the environment, usually hidden against other Props.

Cleansing

Survivors can walk up to any Dull or Hex Totem and interact with it, cleansing it in the process.
This interaction takes 14 seconds to complete for either type.
Killers can increase this time by making use of the Perks Hex: Thrill of the Hunt or Thanatophobia .
Boon Totems cannot be cleansed.

Cleansing a Totem will permanently destroy it.
If the Totem was a Hex Totem, doing this will also dispel its Curse.

Cleansing Totems rewards Survivors with Bloodpoints in the Boldness Category, as well as points towards the Lightbringer Emblem.

Blessing

Survivors can walk up to any Dull or Hex Totem and bless it, granted that they have at least one Boon Perk equipped.
This interaction takes 14 seconds to complete for a Dull Totem and 24 seconds to complete for a Hex Totem.

Blessing a Totem will imbue it with the powers of the Boon Perks, and in the case of a Hex Totem, also dispel its Curse.

Dull Totems

Dull Totems are unlit Totems found in random locations throughout the Trial Grounds.

Unless the Killer uses any Hex Perk, or Hex: No One Escapes Death or Hex: Plaything prior to their activation, all five Totems will be dull.

Cleansing a Dull Totem will reward the Survivor with 1,000 Bloodpoints.

It takes Survivors 14 seconds to cleanse a Dull Totem.

Hex Totems

Hex Totems are a special kind of Totem, identifiable by the lit candles underneath them.

If the Killer uses any Hex Perk (with the exceptions of Hex: No One Escapes Death and Hex: Plaything , which will not light their potential Totems until their activation), a randomly chosen Dull Totem will become a Hex Totem at the start of the Trial.
Each Hex Perk is tied to its own Hex Totem.
Neither the Killer nor the Survivors have any means to discern, which Hex is associated with which Hex Totem.

Cleansing a Hex Totem will reward the Survivor with 1,500 Bloodpoints and dispel its Curse.

Cleansing a Hex Totem will trigger a map-wide sound cue, akin to a strike of thunder.

It takes Survivors 14 seconds to cleanse a Hex Totem.

Boon Totems

File:SoundCue blessedBoonTotem.wav

Boon Totems are another special kind of Totem, identifiable, and differing from Hex Totems, by a bluish shimmer emanating from the candles underneath them, as well as an audible audio cue whenever someone is within their range (24 metres).

If a Survivor uses any Boon Perk, they can walk up to any Dull or Hex Totem to bless it, simultaneously applying the effects of all of their equipped Boon Perks, attaching them to the Totem.

If a Survivor blesses a Hex Totem, its Curse will be replaced with a Boon.

Killers can snuff out a Boon Totem with a brief interaction, rewarding them with 1,500 Bloodpoints and removing the Blessing.
However, Survivors can re-bless the Totem indefinitely.

Boon Totems cannot be cleansed.

It takes Survivors 14 seconds to bless a Dull Totem and 24 seconds to bless a Hex Totem.

Unlockables

Survivor Perks

	Boon: Circle of Healing	A Boon that offers comfort amidst the terror. Press and hold the Active ability button near a Dull or Hex Totem to bless it and create a Boon Totem . Soft chimes ring out within a radius of 24 metres. Survivors inside the Boon Totem's range benefit from the following effects: 90/95/100 % bonus to all Healing speeds. Unlocks the Self-Care ability, allowing to self-heal without needing a Med-Kit at 50 % of the normal Healing speed. Also benefits from the Healing Speed bonus, boosting the Self-Healing speed to 95/97.5/100 %. You can only bless one Totem at a time. All equipped Boon Perks are active on the same Boon Totem. "Try this, it's better than anything you'll find in a pharmacy." — Mikaela Reid
	Boon: Shadow Step	A Boon that conceals the truth. Press and hold the Active ability button near a Dull or Hex Totem to bless it and create a Boon Totem . Soft chimes ring out within a radius of 24 metres. Survivors inside the Boon Totem's range benefit from the following effects: Scratch Marks are suppressed. Auras are hidden from The Killer. Both effects linger for 2/3/4 seconds after leaving the Boon Totem's range. You can only bless one Totem at a time. All equipped Boon Perks are active on the same Boon Totem. "Stick to the shadows and cover your tracks." — Mikaela Reid
	Counterforce	You know how to withstand an enemy stronger than you, and it starts with hunting down and knocking out their support. You cleanse Totems 20 % faster. Gain another, stack-able 20 % Cleansing Speed bonus per cleansed Totem. After cleansing a Totem, the Aura of the Totem farthest from you is revealed to you for 2/3/4 seconds. "I don't mind a little detective work." — Jill Valentine
	Detective's Hunch	Unlocks potential in your Aura-reading ability. Each time a Generator is completed, the Auras of any Generators , Chests , and Totems within 32/48/64 metres are revealed to you for 10 seconds. If you are holding a Map , any objects revealed by Detective's Hunch will automatically be tracked by it. "Are you able to tell us where you were last night?" — Detective David Tapp
	Inner Strength	THIS PERK HAS BEEN RETIRED. You look inwards and trust your instincts when you feel lost and alone. Each time you cleanse a Totem , Inner Strength activates: You are automatically healed 1 Health State when hiding inside a Locker for 10/9/8 seconds while injured or suffering from the Deep Wound Status Effect. Inner Strength does not activate if you currently suffer from the Broken Status Effect. "All this time I've been trying so hard to pretend like everything's fine, but it's not." — Nancy Wheeler
	Small Game	You have the undeniable capability to sense danger. Get an auditory warning when looking in the direction of Totems in a 45 ° cone within 8/10/12 metres. Small Game has a cool-down of 14/12/10 seconds each time it activates. For each Dull or Hex Totem cleansed by any Player, Small Game gains 1 Token: Each Token decreases the Detection cone's angle by 5 °, down to a minimum of 20 °. "Nope." — Andy, The Lost Tapes

Killer Perks

	Hex: Blood Favour	A Hex that gains the favour of The Entity when blood is spilt. Damaging a Survivor with either your Basic Attack or Special Attack prompts The Entity to hold all Pallets within a radius of 24/28/32 metres from the Survivor's location in place for the next 15 seconds, preventing Survivors from pulling them down. The Hex effects persist as long as the related Hex Totem is standing. "It would be no leap of the imagination to suggest that the Trials are a biological response of sorts." — Journal of Talbot Grimes
	Hex: Crowd Control	A Hex that ensures those lesser than you are properly herded. Survivors who perform a rushed vault through a Window prompt The Entity to block it for the next 14/17/20 seconds. The Hex effects persist as long as the related Hex Totem is standing. "You have no control. People like you never did." — Ji-Woon Hak
	Hex: Devour Hope	A Hex rooting its power on hope. The false hope of Survivors ignites your hunger. Each time a Survivor is rescued from a Hook when you are at least 24 metres away, Devour Hope receives 1 Token: 2 Tokens: 10 seconds after hooking a Survivor, gain a 3/4/5 % Haste Status Effect for the next 10 seconds. 3 Tokens: Survivors suffer permanently from the Exposed Status Effect. 5 Tokens: You are granted the ability to kill all Survivors by your own hand. The Hex effects persist as long as the related Hex Totem is standing. "If you do nothing, you have their blood on your hands. If you save them, her hunger grows."
	Hex: Haunted Ground	Two trapped Hex Totems will spawn in the Trial Grounds. When either Hex Totem is cleansed, all Survivors suffer from the Exposed Status Effect for 40/50/60 seconds. The second Hex Totem will immediately turn into a Dull Totem. "Her home became profane."
	Hex: Huntress Lullaby	A Hex rooting its power in despair. Your hunt is an irresistible song of dread which muddles your prey's attention. Survivors receive a 2/4/6 % Regression penalty on Failed Skill Checks for Repair and Healing actions. Hex: Huntress Lullaby grows in power each time you hook a Survivor, gaining 1 Token, and affecting Repair and Healing Skill Checks: 1 Token: shortens the time between the Warning sound and the Skill Check by -14 %. 2 Tokens: shortens the time between the Warning sound and the Skill Check by -28 %. 3 Tokens: shortens the time between the Warning sound and the Skill Check by -42 %. 4 Tokens: shortens the time between the Warning sound and the Skill Check by -56 %. 5 Tokens: disables the Warning sound. The Hex effects persist as long as the related Hex Totem is standing. "That song, it drives me crazy!"
	Hex: No One Escapes Death	A Hex rooting its power on hope. You are animated by the power of your Hex Totem when the Survivors are on the verge of escaping. Once the Exit Gates are powered and there is at least one Dull Totem remaining in the Trial Grounds, Hex: No One Escapes Death activates and lights the Totem: Your Movement speed is increased by 2/3/4 %. Survivors suffer from a permanent Exposed Status Effect. Hex: No One Escapes Death remains inactive if no Dull Totems are available. The Hex effects persist as long as the related Hex Totem is standing. "And the beast became faster and more powerful as if The Entity's shadowy whips were lashing at its back."
	Hex: Plaything	A Hex that toys with a victim's suffering. If there is at least one Dull Totem remaining in the Trial Grounds, Hex: Plaything activates on a random Totem each time a Survivor is hooked for the first time: The Survivors suffers from the Cursed and Oblivious Status Effects until Hex: Plaything is cleansed. For the first 90 seconds, only the Cursed Survivor is able to cleanse the Hex Totem. The Aura of Hex: Plaything's Hex Totem is revealed to the Cursed Survivor within 24/20/16 metres. The Hex effects persist as long as the related Hex Totem is standing. "We came. Now you must come with us. Taste our pleasure." — Pinhead
	Hex: Retribution	A Hex that lashes out upon its destruction. Those who cross you will be punished. Survivors cleansing any Totem suffer from the Oblivious Status Effect for 35/40/45 seconds. After cleansing a Hex Totem , the Auras of all Survivors are revealed to you for 15 seconds. The Hex effects persist as long as the related Hex Totem is standing. "Bloody fool, you pulled the trigger on yourself." — Caleb Quinn
	Hex: Ruin	A Hex that affects all Survivor's Generator Repair progress. All Generators automatically regress at 100/150/200 % of the normal Regression speed whenever they are not being repaired. The Hex effects persist as long as the related Hex Totem is standing. "A curse is upon you. It will cause your ruin."
	Hex: The Third Seal	A Hex that hinders the Survivors' Aura-reading abilities. The last 2/3/4 Survivors hit with either your Basic Attack or Special Attack suffer from the Blindness Status Effect. The Hex effects persist as long as the related Hex Totem is standing. "She touched your skin, you bear the witch's mark!"
	Hex: Thrill of the Hunt	A Hex rooting its power on hope. The false hope of Survivors fills you with excitement and strengthens your Totems. For each Totem remaining in the Trial Grounds, Hex: Thrill of the Hunt gains 1 Token. Survivors suffer from a stack-able 8/9/10 % Action Speed Penalty per Token to Cleansing and Blessing, up to a maximum of 40/45/50 %. Hex: Thrill of the Hunt grants a stack-able 10 % bonus Bloodpoints for actions in the Hunter Category per Token, up to a maximum of 50 %. The Hex effects persist as long as the related Hex Totem is standing.
	Hex: Undying	A Hex which maintains the vile powers that flow throughout the Trial. The Auras of Survivors within 2/3/4 metres of any Dull Totem are revealed to you. When another Perk's Hex Totem is cleansed, its Hex is transferred to the Hex: Undying Totem, including any accumulated Tokens, disabling Hex: Undying instead. The Hex effects persist as long as the related Hex Totem is standing.
	Thanatophobia	Their courage fades in the face of their undeniable mortality. Each injured, dying, or hooked Survivor incurs a stack-able 4/4.5/5 % penalty to all Survivors' Repairing, Sabotaging, and Cleansing Action speeds, up to a maximum of 16/18/20 %. "She plays with us and revels in our pain."

Change Log

Patch 2.5.0

Improved the hiding spots of Totems as new interaction mechanics allow them to be placed closer to other objects.

Trivia

In the Game files, Hex Totems are referred to as "Hex Bags".
In rare cases and due to bugs, it has occurred that some iterations of the largest Maps spawned an additional sixth Totem.

Gallery

A Dull and a Hex Totem in comparison
A Hex Totem on the upper Deck of The Pale Rose.
David King cleansing a Hex Totem in Shelter Woods.

Props
Alarm Clocks	Bear Traps	Breakable Walls	Cages of Atonement
Chests	Crows	Dark Mist	Exit Gates
Generators	Hatch	Hooks	Jigsaw Boxes
Lockers	Moonlight	Pallets	Pools of Devotion
Supply Cases	Totems	Windows	Glyphs
Visceral Cankers

Dead by Daylight Wiki