Dead by Daylight: Totems - hexes and blessings Dead by Daylight guide, tips

This page of our DBD guide is dedicated to totems. Here you'll learn what is their purpose.

Totems are a very important feature of DBD. Although theoretically, during the game, you don't have to interact with them, avoiding making use of their benefits and still winning is difficult (at least at the stage the project is currently in). This is because they award the most powerful perks available in the game.

• Totem placement
• Types of totems

Totem placement

There are always 5 totems present on each map. Their location is random, so you cannot memorize their locations. Of course, there are a few exceptions to this, as some maps have a fixed location of at least one totem.

Locating totems isn't that easy, and require careful looking around. However, you don't have to frantically search the map, as there is a facilitation here - totems appear near generators. So, if you are in the vicinity of one, look for Killer Shacks, Jungle Gyms, or hills. These locations offer the best chance of finding a totem.

On some maps (mostly those that had been in the game for some time now), totems are often located in highly visible positions - near trees or hills. This causes a lot of problems for both sides because your opponent can easily find and disable the totem associated with the perk you're currently using. The best examples of such totem placement are on maps like:

1. The Macmillan Estate,
2. Autohaven Wreckers,
3. Crotus Prenn Asylum,
4. Gideon Meat Plant,
5. Forsaken Boneyard.

On these maps, you can encounter a totem in plain sight, right next to the generator.

When it comes to other locations, totems are hidden better, requiring some effort to find them, as they may appear in tall grass and blend in strongly with the surroundings. A good example of this is Grave of Glenvale map. On this map, there is always one totem that appears in the exactly same location - in a small shed near the windmill.

The remaining ones, however, are in the bushes surrounded by various structures. This makes them visible only from a certain angle.

Of course, searching for totems doesn't have to be a problem. This is because there are perks available that allow you to find them easier. These are:

1. Detective's Hunch - once a generator is repaired, you'll see silhouettes of generators, chests, and totems located in a 32/48/64 meter radius for 10 seconds.
2. Small Game - generates a sound when a totem is targeted (a 45-degree cone) which is in an 8/10/12 metre radius. The perk has a cooldown of 14/12/10 seconds.
3. Counterforce - totems are cleansed 20% faster. After a cleanse, you'll see a silhouette of a totem farthest to you for 2/3/4 seconds.

Moreover, there are two cases when the auras of hex totems are revealed to survivors. Both come into play when a killer activates Hex: No One Escapes Death and Hex: Plaything.

Types of totems

There are three types of totems in DBD :

1. Dull Totem - doesn't bind any skills and has no effect on gameplay. The Killers can curse a totem with Hex: No One Escapes Death and Hex: Plaything. Survivors, on the other hand, can bless a totem.
2. Hex Totem - unlocks and activates Killer perks In most cases, it appears in the initial phase of a match. It is surrounded by flames. It can be cleansed by survivors in order to deactivate the perk it offers.

1. Boon Totem - survivors also have perks that are tied to totems. To unlock access to them, survivors need to find a dull or a hex totem and cleanse it. Once its cleansed, the boon totem emits blue light.

Finally, there is a fourth type of totem - Rekindled Totem. However activating it can only be performed by players having Hex: Pentimento perk and only with cleansed totems - when that happens, a totem is created anew to receive a certain effect.