Perk Reworks: Killer Edition
-Killer edition-
There will be a survivor version to follow.
Disclaimers:
- These are not necessarily the "best" changes possible, but simply the best changes for the least amount of developer time invested. Trying to get more perks into the viable category, ie buffing/reworking weak perks that are barely used. This isn't a post for nerfing any overperforming perks nor is it implying perks don't need nerfs. We're just focusing on weak ones here and diversifying the meta by giving more perk options.
- I will be constantly updating/changing/adding to the list as I have more time and as feedback is received. Please stick to constructive criticism for changes. IE, this is good or bad and why.
- Keep in mind that even though some of these may seem heavy handed that they are competing with regression perks for a perk slot. They need to be close in terms of the amount of time saved to compete with those.
Nurses Calling: 28 meter range ----> Now 32
Not a bad perk, but still rarely seen. Not a significant buff, but a little. I also think with how good Distortion is it's very hard for aura perks to ever get too out of control as if they ever got meta Distortion can completely shut them down. For this reason I'll be a little more giving in terms of buffing aura perks in general going forward.
Awakened Awareness: Return the few seconds of aura reading extension after carrying a survivor.
This was originally removed because of Nurse. However, we shouldn't be building/nerfing an entire game around 1 single killer, that isn't good design. Nurse needs changes separately.
BBQ: 4 sec aura reading ----> Additional effect: the minimum range for the aura reading will shrink slightly for each unique survivor hook.
Since the removal of the BP bonus this perk has basically disappeared. This further encourages "fair" game play. It's also competing against gen regression perks for a slot.
Beast of Prey: In addition to its current effect, gain Undetectable for 10 seconds after dropping a chase.
Triggers very often but for a very short duration. Gives some potential target swapping mind games.
Blood Echo: 45 sec duration ----> 60 sec duration. Removal of the cooldown.
This rewards a killer for applying split pressure instead of tunneling people out, this is the kind of game play we want to encourage. Also has the counter play of simply healing.
Blood Warden: Should be active as soon as the gates are powered, not open, but doesn't start the 60 second block until the gate is opened. In addition there will be a gate block of 15 seconds added for any future hooks. If it's currently blocked this adds to the timer and if it's open it just blocks for those 15 seconds.
Punishes them for 99'ing the gates and encourages them to open immediately.
Bloodhound: In addition to its current effect it now gives blood aura reading at a very short range, something like 10 meters.
This perk is basically non existent and this might give it some actually tracking use for people that stay injured or mind games at loops. It also makes blood last significantly longer so the blood auras aren't going to be super accurate all the time. This ideally isn't helping you mind game at loops because of how lingered the blood is, it's more of a way of knowing where injured survivors are that are near you but further than hearing range.
Brutal Strength: 20% increased break speed ---> 30% break speed and ups the base gen kick regression to 5%
Pretty underwhelming perk and still not used enough. Little umph.
Claustrophobia: Instead of vault locations being blocked around the completed gen they will now be blocked for the duration around the killer.
Give it more use since you rarely need vault locations blocked around a gen already completed.
Coulrophobia: Effect will linger for 10 seconds after leaving the killers TR.
A lingering effect like this needs to honestly be applied to almost all aura effecting perks to make them more consistent. People don't heal in a killers TR.
Coup De Grace: Now gives tokens per gen and hook.
Just a terrible perk. Giving it a little more consistency. Everyone hates the current token system.
Dark Devotion: Undetectable on Obsession hit is currently 30 seconds -----> 60 second duration
Not rewarding enough for the inconsistency of the perk.
Deathbound: Remove the range requirement.
It still has the counter play of staying near the person you healed to prevent it from triggering.
Deerstalker: 36 meter range ---> No range limit and slows slugged crawl speed by 20%
Dissolution: Remove the 3 second delay on hit for the perk to activate.
Needs more consistency, you're rarely getting value.
Dragon's Grip: Cooldown of 80 seconds ---> 40 seconds
Dying Light: Remove the healing and unhooking bonus to the Obsession and the perk no longer deactivates when the Obsession dies, the perk simply freezes wherever it was at with tokens and you can't gain any more.
The perk isn't good enough to warrant all the downsides it has. It needs to be a perk with very little effect early on and only becomes noticeable if you can keep the game going long enough.
Fearmonger: Duration of 5 seconds ---> 10 seconds
5 seconds of Exhausted is basically worthless as you can easily lose this mid chase.
Enduring: 50% stun reduction ---> 70% stun reduction and is now active even while carrying a survivor.
Fire Up: Just upping the numbers to actually matter. 4% ----> 8%
This now makes the percentage actually relevant and moves its strength from late game to early game.
Forced Penance: Increase the consistency of what is considered a "protection hit".
This is an extremely inconsistent perk with protection hits very rarely happening. Make it so hits would be considered "protection hits" if another survivor was within like 10m of that survivor in that last 10 seconds or so. This would have it activate more often to be worth running.
Furtive Chase: The TR reduction is now outside of chase as well as in chase.
This makes it irrelevant early game but the longer the game lasts the more effective it becomes. Yes this can stack with Monitor and that can get their TR quite low, but remember this takes a while to stack up and he's getting up 2 perk slots to do this. If he doesn't get a lot of hooks it's doing nothing. Rewards playing well.
Gearhead: Remove the stipulation of requiring an injured survivor to activate it, it's just always active. However, it now only activates on great skill checks instead of good ones.
This makes it very good against good survivors and bad against bad survivors, just the kind of design we're looking for. It also means the perk is active way more often, but now triggering less often.
Grim Embrace: On top of its current effect it now also blocks all gens for 15 seconds for each first hook on a new survivor.
This gives it the same blocking power of Corrupt and Deadlock but unlike those you're only getting that effect by playing in an extremely fair way and splitting hooks instead of tunneling 1 person. This encourages fun game play and rewards the killer for doing it.
Hangmans Trick: 6 meters around a hook ---> 10 meters
Needs more consistency.
Hex Crowd Control: Now blocks windows for any type of vault, not just fast ones and duration is raised to 30 seconds instead of 20. All vaulting speeds for survivors are lowered by 20 percent as well.
This is a hex perk, it needs to be significant in effect for how fast it can be gone.
Hex Face the Darkness: Screams trigger every 25 seconds with auras shown for 2 seconds ---> Every 15 seconds auras are shown for 3 seconds.
Not good enough for being a hex that can be removed immediately. We improved the proc rate and aura reading but removed the scream to prevent it from preventing itself from being cleansed. Removing the scream also prevents the survivor from knowing you see them.
Hex Huntress Lullaby: 6% regression ---> 10% regression, also has no token build up and just has the 5 token effect by default.
Not good enough for being a hex.
Hex Retribution: Oblivious when interacting with a dull totem for 45 seconds ---> Oblivious when interacting with any totem period and Oblivious effect is now 60 seconds. Hex Retribution is no longer a hex perk itself.
This gives the perk more umph and consistency with the perk itself not being removable too early.
Hex Ruin: 100% regression ---> 200% regression
The perk wasn't over tuned and only rewarded players who were good at pressuring multiple survivors. Just tunneling one person out makes you get very little effect out of this perk. We are also leaving the additional new effect on, so if anyone is killed it cleanses itself.
Hex Third Seal: No longer requires a hit and is active on all survivors from the start of the match. The blindness effect also hides survivor huds and the ping effect survivors see when a survivor is hooked.
This makes the perk more consistent by getting value out of it immediately and the blindness now actually adds more confusion than previously as they can't tell who's injured or on the ground.
Hex Thrill of the Hunt: Same effect, but is no longer a hex itself.
This makes it more consistent in protecting your other totems as the perk itself will give you its full value.
Hoarder: Additionally interacting with any chest or item on the ground will trigger Hoarder and injure the survivor as a trap. Cannot down any survivor however, only healthy to injured status.
Hubris: 20 second duration ---> 40 second duration and no cooldown
Sounds extreme but once they know you have this perk they just pre drop everything and you get zero value.
Hysteria: Lasts 30 seconds with a 30 second cooldown ---> Lasts 30 seconds, no cooldown
Easily countered by healing.
I'm All Ears: Cooldown of 40 seconds ----> Cooldown of 20 seconds
More consistent value. It's competing against gen slow down perks.
Iron Maiden: Survivors leaving lockers are Exposed for 30 seconds ----> Exposed effect removed, instead the killer is granted Undetectable for 60 seconds and the survivors aura is shown for 8 seconds.
Once they see the Exposed or how fast you open lockers they know you have this perk and won't use lockers again heavily limiting your value. 30 seconds of Exposed is also rarely ever enough to do anything. This allows you to get value from it without that survivor knowing immediately that you have it further increasing your chance of continuously getting value from it. Still will be very easy for the survivors to see you have it with how fast you open lockers and survivors in general don't use lockers too often.
Lethal Pursuer: Small wording change. Instead of aura timed durations increased by 2 seconds, it will now just make aura effects linger for 2 seconds longer.
Seems minor but actually creates more synergy with other perks and addons. Now it's not just working with timed aura durations but also makes aura effects linger. For example, things like Nurses Calling aren't timed aura durations so they wouldn't have been effected, but now with this change after they stop healing in your TR the auras would still linger for 2 seconds longer.
Lightborn: It now shows the survivors that they have blinded you just like it would have appeared normally if you weren't running the perk. This allows you to get more consistent value from the perk because when the survivor tries to blind you they won't immediately know that you're running the perk. Also when they try to blind you, gain a 5% speed increase for 8 seconds.
Mad Grit: Additional effect. While carrying a survivor your hits will also cause Deep Wounds.
Still an extremely nitch perk but there for the people that never want to get body blocked. Also the entire team will know you have it after getting its effect even once meaning you'll never see it again.
Oppression: Cooldown of 80 seconds ---> 30 seconds
One of the weaker slow down perks and would still be one of the weaker ones after this. Giving it a little more umph.
Overwhelming Presence: Survivors in your TR are effected ---> map wide
Honestly not good enough for such a limitation. Still very niche even with this.
Predator: Additional effect. Now also increases the sound of running and walking footsteps.
Remember Me: Each Obsession hit increases gate opening time by 4 seconds up to a maximum of 16 seconds ---> Gates take 12 seconds longer to open and you gain 12 additional seconds per Obsession hit up to a maximum of 48 seconds added. Gates now also regress at 25% of the normal rate if not opened.
Not adding as much as No Way Out does, but giving it the added bonus of gate regression to play around. Note that the regression rate is very, very slow.
Scourge Hook Gift of Pain: The survivor suffers a 16% penalty to healing and repairing actions each time they are unhooked until healed, not just the first time they are healed until injured as it currently is.
Perk needs more consistency, it's currently just not good enough to warrant the slow down only happening once. This lasting until healed now punishes gen rushing and makes them take the time to heal.
Septic Touch: These effects linger for 10 seconds after a healing action is interrupted by any means ---> These effects linger for 30 seconds after a healing action is interrupted by any means or completed. This aura effect lingers on survivors for 10 seconds after leaving the killers TR.
Still probably bad, trying to give it something.
Shattered Hope: Whenever you snuff a boon, all survivor auras are shown to you for 8 seconds, not just those in the totems radius. Also allows the killer to break dull totems.
Needed more. Current iteration is too situational and even in its good situation underwhelming.
Spies from the Shadows: 36 meter range for a visual queue and a 5 second cooldown ---> Map wide, aura reveal of that survivor for 2 seconds and no cooldown.
Was too situation for a weak effect. Now it's more consistent and an effect you can capitalize on more. The no cooldown won't spam you either as it's now an aura reading instead of noise notification.
Surveillance: Doesn't deactivate on gens that reach 0% regression. Essentially the effect lasts until touched.
Just some more consistency, rarely is it used.
Terminus: The broken status will last the rest of the match instead of just 30 seconds after gates are opened. Additionally any survivor injured while this perk is active will be broken for 30 seconds.
No one uses this. You need lots of people broken when the last gen pops to even see value out of this period. It needed a lot more consistency.
Territorial Imperative: New Effect to replace the old. While a survivor is hooked in the basement and you are at least 32 meters away you gain Undetectable. Deactivates if you return within 32 meters of the hooked survivor.
This rewards you for basement hooking and not camping. Good design.
Thanatophobia: Revert the last nerf.
Even in its last form and on the best killers for it (plague and legion) it wasn't overpowered. Even our current gen regression perks are better than that old combo. No one uses this perk anymore, it's just bad.
Thrilling Tremors: Blocks gens not being repaired for 16 seconds, cooldown of 60 seconds ---> Blocks gen not being repaired for 25 seconds, no cooldown, but can only be triggered once per survivor per down.
Removed the cooldown and increases the duration for more consistency but with a stipulation to prevent abuse.
Trail of Torment: No longer shows the gen highlighted in yellow to the survivors. Cooldown of 60 sec ---> 45 sec
Showing the survivors you're running the perk and when it's active defeats the entire point.
Unnerving Presence: 10% greater chance of triggering skill checks ---> 20% chance. Aura effect of this also now lingers for 10 seconds after survivors leave the killers TR.
Needed more consistency. Also still has the downside of actually helping survivors if they're good at skill checks.
Unrelenting: 30% reduced cd on missed swings ---> 40%
Merciless Storm: Remove the skill check component. It just blocks gens for 20 seconds when they reach 90%.
This wouldn't be that crazy, it's just comparable to other gen blocking perks.
Comments
Re: Scourge Hooks, Monstrous Shrine aside you only ever get 4 Scourge Hooks. From that angle it makes perfect sense to lose one to get one. The trade-off is you get to place a Scourge Hook in a location of your choosing. Given the common issue I see noted with Scourges is the Hooks' placement, it's quite easy to see someone choose this perk. The aura reading is mostly to extend its existing effect beyond the basement, again like Monstrous Shrine. I used Hangman's Trick's numbers for convenience so don't take them too seriously.
Re: Hex, in exchange for a Hex that might get destroyed before it has a chance to ramp up, you get one that potentially offers immediate value if you don't face someone that's decent and likely even if you do. It also buffs impossible skillcheck builds, a niche Lullaby already sees frequent use in.
Also worth noting is that Huntress is a base game killer, meaning these are perks everyone can get access to. That likely gives starting players a wider range of viable perks to choose from, where otherwise the main reason to level Huntress is enjoying Huntress.
Good buffs and changes overall. I agree.