Highlights

  • Vecna's addition to Dead by Daylight brings a powerful villain from Dungeons & Dragons, fitting his intimidating reputation.
  • Despite Vecna's fearsome design and abilities, his Dark Arrogance perk ironically makes him vulnerable to Survivor attacks.
  • The comical contrast of Vecna's god-like status in D&D with his weakness in Dead by Daylight adds irony to the crossover event.

Vecna being added to Dead by Daylight brings an intimidating presence to the game, but it also comes with one unexpectedly amusing feature. Since Vecna is one of the most famous villains in Dungeons & Dragons, it shouldn't be much of a surprise that he represents the series as a killer in Dead by Daylight. Overall, his design and powers make him look just as intimidating as any other killer in the game, which suits his reputation. In spite of his fearsome presence, there is one aspect of Vecna that might induce more laughter from fans than fear.

One big draw of Dead by Daylight's Dungeons & Dragons crossover is the addition of Vecna as a killer. One of the most powerful liches to ever walk the Forgotten Realms, Vecna would ascend to godhood, becoming one of the most powerful evil beings in Dungeons & Dragons. In addition to his deity status, Vecna's disembodied hand and eye are powerful magical artifacts within the game. When Vecna does play a role in a campaign, it is almost always as a grave threat, showing off his cunning, evil nature. He is easily one of the most high-profile villains that Dungeons & Dragons has to offer.

Sable looking into the camera in Greenville Square in Dead by Daylight
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Dark Arrogance Gives Vecna an Amusing Weakness in Dead by Daylight

Vecna May Be the Strongest Killer to Enter Dead by Daylight

Fittingly for a powerful character even among other killers in Dead by Daylight, Vecna looks terrifying. He has a selection of four spells that he can use during trials, each with different effects, giving him the ability to make the most out of several situations. Vecna's perks also play well into making him seem threatening for the most part. Languid Touch exhausts survivors who startle a crow, preventing them from using helpful perks like Lithe and Dead Hard, while Weave Attunement lets him use dropped items to track survivors. Rather, his last perk, Dark Arrogance, does not project the same aura of power.

Dark Arrogance Gives Killers a Noteworthy Weakness

Dark Arrogance is not a perk that is likely to be ranked among the best Killer perks in Dead by Daylight. It does grant a vault speed bonus, which is useful since vaulting often helps survivors create distance in a chase. It does come with the downside of the user being more vulnerable to blinds and stuns, though. Blinding and stunning the killer are the only real ways for the Survivors to strike back against them, so Dark Arrogance makes its user more vulnerable than other killers. Dark Arrogance is essentially the Killer equivalent of No Mither, the Survivor perk that permanently injures its user.

Ironically, the Survivor with No Mither as a starting perk, David King, is arguably the toughest of the non-licensed Survivors.

Vecna Having Dark Arrogance by Default is a Comical Contrast

Killer perks that come with downsides aren't necessarily a bad thing, and they can lead to interesting playstyles. Still, Vecna in Dungeons & Dragons is a literal god, debatably the most powerful Killer to enter the Entity's realm to date. The fact that one of his signature perks makes it easier for the Survivors to fight back against him is somewhat comical. There are several Killers that look far less imposing than the archlich in Dead by Daylight, so the fact that Vecna of all Killers is the one to have Dark Arrogance as a base perk is undeniably pretty funny.

The Dungeons & Dragons crossover and the addition of Vecna are huge gains for Dead by Daylight and one of the best ways to start off Dead by Daylight's ninth year. Vecna himself seems likely to become a formidable Killer in the game, but that doesn't detract from how amusing it is that he comes with Dark Arrogance. He's a god, but he has a starting perk that gives Survivors more of a fighting chance against him.