Dead by Daylight: Best Builds for The Doctor (2024)

Doctor Herman Carter cuts a fearful figure in Dead by Daylight, threatening to quickly close the gap should Survivors be caught in his Shock Therapy. Capable of gaining information on Survivors quickly within his 32-meter Terror Radius and sending them into spirals of Madness, The Doctor can be one of the most mechanically complex Killers in Dead by Daylight, especially when equipped with the right builds.

This guide will showcase some of the most effective perks to run with the Doctor in Dead by Daylight, with builds for new players and old hands alike.

Updated on August 1st, 2024, by Lewis Smyth: Though perhaps not as popular as other Killers in Dead by Daylight, the Doctor has remained a steadfastly impactful character throughout many patches. With new and better perks always arriving in the game, this updated guide features new builds for The Doctor, alongside a list of his best add-ons.

The Doctor: Best Beginner Build (2024)

For players without access to the large suite of teachable perks in Dead by Daylight, this build aims to make the most of The Doctor’s powers by pressuring generators and interrupting healing. By using the perk Whispers, players can learn of a Survivor’s presence within their Terror Radius and use The Doctor’s Static Blast to reveal their locations and send them mad.

• Overcharge (The Doctor) – After damaging a generator, it will begin to regress from 75% to 200% of normal regression speed over the next 30 seconds. The next time a Survivor touches this generator they will be faced with a difficult Skill Check that, if failed, will result in the loss of an additional 5% progress.
• Sloppy Butcher (General Perk) – Basic attacks inflict the Mangled and Hemorrhage status ailments for 90 seconds, slowing down healing by 25% and regressing healing progress when left unfinished.
• Whispers (General Perk) – This perk icon will light up and the Killer will hear The Entity’s whisper when within 32 meters of a Survivor.
• Hex: No One Escapes Death (General Perk) – After the final generator is completed, all survivors suffer from the Exposed status ailment and users gain a 4% Haste effect until the Hex Totem is cleansed.

The Doctor: Best Build (2024)

For a truly ferocious and oppressive Doctor build, players can turn to perks that block generators from being progressed, like The Artist’s Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance. With this build, Killers can speed up chases and slow generator progress tremendously by using Merciless Storm to bombard Survivors with difficult skill checks and interrupting altruistic actions with Sloppy Butcher.

• Corrupt Intervention (The Plague) – At the start of the trial, the 3 generators furthest from the Killer’s starting location are blocked for 120 seconds or until the first Survivor is downed.
• Sloppy Butcher (General Perk) – Basic attacks inflict the Mangled and Hemorrhage status ailments for 90 seconds, slowing down healing by 25% and regressing healing progress when left unfinished.
• Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance (The Artist) – The Killer starts with four tokens. For each different Survivor hooked on a white Scourge Hook, lose one token and explode the generator with the most progress, causing it to lose 20% of its progress.
• Merciless Storm (The Onryo) – Upon reaching 90% progress, Survivors will face a stream of skill checks. If a skill check is failed, the generator becomes blocked for 20 seconds. This effect triggers once per generator.

The Doctor: Best Add-Ons

The Doctor’s many verbose and detailed add-ons can be difficult for newer Dead by Daylight Killers to wrap their heads around. This guide highlights Herman Carter’s strongest add-ons, in order of their rarity on the Bloodweb.

Moldy Electrode

A simple add-on with a subtle effect, the Moldy Electrode extends the range of The Doctor’s Shock Therapy by 2 meters, allowing you to interrupt Survivors from greater distances.

“Calm” – Class I

The Doctor’s Static Blast ability is key in locating Survivors quickly and interrupting their actions. “Calm” – Class I merely increases its radius by 4 meters while having the passive bonus of reducing your Terror Radius while it’s on cooldown. The illusory Terror Radius that Survivors hear can also catch them off guard.

Polished Electrode

An upgraded version of the Moldy Electrode, the Polished Electrode increases the range of Shock Therapy by 3 meters. This can prove useful in interrupting generators that are nearly complete, as well as preventing more distant Survivors from using pallets and windows.

“Restraint” – Class II

Aura reading is always a useful ability in Dead by Daylight. With “Restraint” – Class II, The Doctor can see the aura of Survivors for 1 second as their Madness level increases. With regular shocks in chase, The Doctor can see their auras up to 3 times.

“Discipline” – Class II

The Doctor’s Shock Therapy has a small delay before it detonates, requiring players to accurately predict Survivor movements to Shock them before they can reach a loop. Using this Uncommon Carter’s Spark Add-On, the time between charge and detonation is reduced by 10%, making it easier to interrupt Survivors in chase.

High Stimulus Electrode

The High Stimulus Electrode is the highest rarity of the Electrode Add-Ons, extending the range of Shock Therapy by 4 meters.

“Restraint” – Class III

Like The Doctor’s other “Restraint” Add-Ons, Class III reveals Survivors’ auras for 2 seconds when their Madness level increases. The illusory Doctor hallucinations, which you see in white, can also be used to track Survivors.

“Discipline” – Class III

This Rare “Discipline” Add-On reduces the charge time on Shock Therapy by 15%. Hiding your Red Stain to mind game Survivors is no longer necessary with this series of add-ons.

“Restraint” – Carter’s Notes

The best “Restraint” Add-On reveals Survivors’ auras for 3 seconds with each Madness level increase. These add-ons can be paired with The Nemesis’ Lethal Pursuer to extend their aura reading.

“Discipline” – Carter’s Notes

Just like the rest, “Discipline” – Carter’s Notes decreases the detonation delay on Shock Therapy – this time by 20%. This is an exceptional add-on, and possibly his best, making interrupting Survivors with Shock Therapy much more consistent, particularly when paired with other “Discipline” add-ons.

“Calm” – Carter’s Notes

As ever, “Calm” – Carter’s Notes improves the Static Blast ability and forces Survivors in Madness II to hear a constant Terror Radius, which can never hurt.

Iridescent Queen

Another strong contender for The Doctor’s best add-on, the Iridescent Queen charges Survivors hit with Shock Therapy or Static Blast with a Static Charge. Upon coming into contact with other Charged Survivors, they scream, interrupting their actions and revealing their locations. This can help disrupt generator actions and altruism.

Iridescent King

The Iridescent King effectively gives The Doctor all of the passive effects of his “Calm,” “Discipline,” “Order,” and “Restraint” Add-Ons. The hallucinations, illusory pallets, Red Stains and Terror Radius can prove to overstimulate and disorientate Survivors, especially those in chase.