New DBD killer The Houndmaster perks and how to play Chapter 34 PTB right now

The final Dead By Daylight chapter for 2024 is set to arrive for all platforms in a few weeks. As per usual, fans on PC are able to play and trial the new content before the community on consoles thanks to BeHaviour’s public-test build. Here you will find the new DBD killer The Houndmaster perks along with how to play the Chapter 34 PTB right now.

It was originally believed that the Chapter 34 PTB would release on November 12th, but it instead dropped on November 7th. Regardless of why, BeHaviour Interactive shared the update 8.4.0 patch notes, and they reveal all of the November killer updates along with changes to the HUD for survivors.

It’s good that the beta has dropped early as all it means is that fans can play it now rather than next week when 2v8 returns. The new Dead By Daylight killer is named The Houndmaster, and DBD fans on Steam can experience their perks right now by enjoying the Chapter 34 PTB.

Dead By Daylight The Houndmaster killer perks

Below are the perks for the Dead By Daylight Chapter 34 killer, The Houndmaster:

Perks:

All-Shaking Thunder

• After you fall from a height, your lunge attack distance is increased by 75/75/75% for 8/12/16 seconds.
• This perk has a 5/5/5-second cooldown.

Scourge Hook: Jagged Compass

• At the start of the trial, up to 4 random hooks are changed into scourge hooks. You see their auras in white.
• When a Survivor is unhooked from a non-scourge hook, it becomes a scourge hook. When you hook a Survivor on a Scourge Hook, the aura of the generator with the most progress is revealed in yellow for 6/8/10 seconds.

No Quarter

• When a Survivor reaches 75/75/75% of a self-heal, they are faced with continuous skill checks.
• If one of these skill checks is missed or the heal is interrupted, the Survivor becomes broken for 20/25/30 seconds.

Originally, leaks suggested the killer was called The Hellion, but The Houndmaster is undoubtedly a more befitting name. Although leaks were wrong about the name, leakers were accurate about a pet companion, and leaked concept art was accurate to the final version, too.

While these are the perks for the public-test build, it’s possible they could be slightly altered by BeHaviour Interactive for the full release.

DBD The Houndmaster killer special powers

In addition to perks, below are the special powers and abilities for The Houndmaster:

Special Ability: Chase

The Chase Command sends the dog out at high speed. Pressing the Power button again redirects the Chase, pivoting the dog’s path. When the dog catches a Survivor, the dog starts a Grab. The Survivor becomes Hindered and is pulled toward The Houndmaster. The Survivor can get free by stunning the dog or can be rescued by another Survivor. Grabs that end without Injury leave the Survivor Hindered. Grab duration is shorter for Survivors with the Endurance status effect.

Special Ability: Search

The Search Command sends the dog to a target location, creating a Search Path. It has its own lullaby and, as it moves, its Houndsense radius rises over distance traveled. Survivors who enter the radius are affected by Houndsense and revealed by Killer Instinct. If The Houndmaster follows the dog’s Search Path, she gains increased movement speed over time. Leaving the Search Path ends the bonus movement speed.

Special Effect: Houndsense

Healthy Survivors affected by Houndsense receive Deep Wounds when Injured. Injured Survivors affected by Houndsense suffer from louder Grunts of Pain and longer Pools of Blood when put into the Dying state.

Arguably the best aspect of this original killer is that you can pet the dog!

How to play the DBD Chapter 34 PTB

In order to play the DBD Chapter 34 PTB, you need to own Dead By Daylight on Steam. Provided you play through Steam, all you need to do is follow the below steps:

• Right-click Dead By Daylight in your Steam library 
• Select “Properties” 
• Head into “Betas”, then select Public Test Build from the list 

Per the Year 9 roadmap, Dead By Daylight Chapter 34 was originally slated to come out in December. However, BeHaviour Interactive has now confirmed that it is fully launching for all platforms on November 28th.

It’s unclear why the release date has been brought forward from December. Perhaps it’s because the PTB would’ve clashed with the return of 2v8 if it came out on November 12th, but that’s just speculation.

For more Dead By Daylight content, check out our ranking of the top 10 DLC expansions to buy along with a ranking of the best killer perks and best survivor perks.