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The Whispered One, The Undying King, Lord of the Rotted Tower – Vecna is known by many names. InDead by Daylight, he is known as The Lich, a powerful and ancient evil trapped and bound by The Entity. In order to make the most of Vecna’s four magical cantrips inDead by Daylight, players should find the best builds that work for them.
This guide seeks to help players better understand The Lich by showcasing some of thestrongestDead by Daylightperksavailable to newcomers and veterans, alike, as well as the best add-ons to use with the Killer.
Updated on July 12, 2025, by Lewis Smyth:Since his release on live servers, The Lich has received some minor changes to his add-ons and abilities in Dead by Daylight. This updated guide reflects those changes with an edited best add-ons list.
The Lich: Best Beginner Build (2024)
The beginner build is aimed at people who have juststarted theirDead by Daylightjourney, who only have access to The Lich’s perks and those available to every Killer by default. Pairing Vecna’s Languid Touch with Spies from the Shadows will illuminate thelocations of nearby Survivorswhilst preventing them from usingpowerful Exhaustion perks. Meanwhile, Sloppy Butcher willslow down healing speedsand cause interrupted heals to regress, enabling greater pressure around hooked and injured Survivors. Finally, Hex: No One Escapes Death leaves all Survivors vulnerable once the final generator is powered, allowing you to securemore kills in the endgame.
The Lich: Best Build (2024)
As Vecna has all he needs to catch Survivors in the palm of his hand, all he really requires to secure victory is perks that pressure generators effectively. For those with access to otherDead by DaylightDLC Killersand their most powerful perks, this Lich Build aims toslow down generator progresspassively while also granting information on the generators being worked on.
AsThe Plague’s Corrupt Interventionwill establishearly-game pressureand enable a three-generator setup, Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance and Grim Embrace work theirgenerator regressionwith each new hook. With Dead Man’s Switch also in play, Grim Embrace will block generators for longer and providevital informationon which ones are being worked on.
The Lich: Best Add-Ons
To push The Lich to his limits inDead by Daylight, investing in the Bloodweb will unlock new add-ons that strengthenhis Vile Darkness power. This section of the guide lists some of thebest add-onsyou should prioritize using, in order of rarity.
Trickster’s Glove
Mage Hand is perhaps Vecna’s most powerful ability inThe Entity’s Trials. This Common Vile Darkness Add-On increases the time Mage Hand holds a pallet byhalf a second, giving you a little more time to secure an injury before the pallet can be used again.
Raven’s Feather
While not as impactful as other add-ons on this list, the Raven’s Feather increases the duration of The Lich’s Fly spell byhalf a second. When used to close the gap toDead by Daylight’sSurvivors, either in loops or across the map, this extra time can come in handy.
Ring Of Spell Storing
Cooldown management is a big part of The Lich’s playstyle, as multiple powerful spells come with numerous lengthy cooldowns. The Ring of Spell Storing simply reduces all of these cooldowns by4 seconds, giving you access to your various powers sooner.
Potion Of Speed
Dungeons & Dragons’ Fly spell has made it intoDead by Daylightas one ofVecna’s four cantrips. While it can be used to cover vast distances at great speed, Fly also allows you to glide over pallets and windows, effectively blocking off loops when used correctly. To land a hit before a Survivor reacts to the spell, the Potion of Speed reduces the fatigue effect after casting Fly by0.5 seconds.
Staff Of Withering
Using Dispelling Sphere in chase is a good way to disable the Magic Items that counter Vecna’s abilities. When used this way, the Staff of Withering – whichExhausts Survivorshit by the Sphere – can make you less likely to encounterSurvivor Exhaustion perkslike Lithe, Sprint Burst, and Dead Hard.
Pearl Of Power
Like the Ring of Spell Storing, the Pearl of Power reduces spell cooldowns. Somewhat likeThe Shape’s Save the Best for Last, with each basic attack any remaining spell cooldowns are reduced by5 seconds. Though the value from this add-on isn’t as consistently gained as with the Ring of Spell Storing, the Pearl of Power still provides a nice bonus if you find yourself frequently waiting for one of your spells to come back.
Ornate Horn
The Ornate Horn makes using Flight of the Damned a little more valuable, as theextra entityspawned by the Add-On makes the spell a little more difficult to dodge when it isn’t crouched under.
Boots Of Speed
Similar to the Ring of Telekinesis, the Boots of Speed buff Mage Hand, making it more effective in a number of loops. Simply put, this Rare Vile Darkness Add-On grants a5%Haste status effectfor 2 seconds following a Mage Hand cast, giving you more speed to catch up to a Survivor.
Dragontooth Dagger
An easy add-on to recommend, the Very Rare Dragontooth Dagger applies the Mangled and Hemorrhage status ailments for45 secondsto Survivors hit while wearing Magic items. Since this is most people in a Trial against The Lich, the Dragontooth Dagger essentially acts like a weaker Sloppy Butcher,slowing Survivor healingwithout having to equip the perk.
Iridescent Book Of Vile Darkness
Like the Vorpal Sword, the Iridescent Book of Vile Darkness fundamentally changes how The Lich’s cantrips work, and are therefore not recommended for those getting to grips with how to play him. Nevertheless, this superb add-on makes the Fly spell function similar toThe Clown’s Bamboozle,blocking the windowas you glide through and preventing Survivors from using it. More significantly, the Flight of the Damned spell spawnscloser to the ground, meaning it must be dodged by Survivors and cannot by crouched under. Killers who can accurately predict Survivor movements with both these spells can use this Ultra Rare Add-On to consistently damage Survivors when they otherwise would be unable to.
