Dead by Daylight

Dead by Daylight

30 ratings
How to use Autodidact
By j0nathan800
The guide to the healing perk with the most potential.
   
Award
Favorite
Favorited
Unfavorite
Why use Autodidact?
The potential for autodidact is the +50% bonus to skill checks. The problem is that you start of with a -35% progression for skill checks. Every stack you gain by hitting a skill check adds 15% bonus to skill checks. After getting enough skill checks you can almost instaheal someone.

It also counters the great skill check nerf that made great skill checks doing 2% bonus to 1% bonus.
Problems with Autodidact
The RNG for skill checks can really screw you over. It is almost like equipping the perk drops the chance for skill checks to almost none. When you do get a skill check, your first 2 give negative progress, something you don't want. The perk also does not work with a medkit.

Faster healing speeds also pose a problem.

A problem with autodidact is that your teammates (and Dying Light if you are the obsession) can give you healing speed buffs and cause problems. If the killer runs dying light and you have Decisive Strike? Whoops, that means less skill checks for you.
How to Make Autodidact Great
Autodidact's poor synergy with other perks is a problem. Most people run spine chill for the increase in skill checks but there is one problem... Spine chill increases healing speed. Increased healing speeds means less skill checks. Since there are no other perks that help with skill checks what is there to help you?

The Answer? The Killer.

What do Mangled add-ons, Sloppy Butcher, Thanatophobia, Coulrophobia, Dying Light, and Gift of Pain have in common? They slow down healing speeds. (Dying Light if the obsession actually increases healing speed as mentioned before) This means more skill checks for autodidact. Another killer perk that also helps with increased skill checks is Unnerving Presence. This increases the rate of skill checks but lowers skill check success zones. More skill checks for autodidact means faster heals and countering these perks, add-ons, and killer.
Perks to go with Autodidact
Bond and Empathy: To find survivors. Bond is nice when you are getting chased so you don't run into teammates and for more general use. Empathy is good for when you are an ambulance.

Second Chance Perks (Borrowed Time, Off the Record, Decisive Strike, etc.): Good to keep you and your teammates alive.

Renewal: Since you are healing survivors this perk can come in handy.

Solidarity: Autodidact also heals you too.

Aftercare: Because you are going to be healing a lot. Aftercare might get a lot of use.

Almost every perk besides Botany Knowledge, We'll Make It, Resilience (Unless you get healed first if injured,) and Leader (If playing SWF.) You can run leader yourself but if a teammate does it then less skill checks for you.
Ways to Get More Skill Checks
Killer runs slowdown perks.

Killer runs increase skill check perks.

Spine Chill (extra healing speed negates this though... slightly)

Eating food when healing.

Scratching an itch when healing.

When the killer runs Huntress Lullaby and you are distracted.

When you are about to sneeze

When you least expect it.

When using autodidact do not expect skill checks, the randomness of skill checks makes the perk go from god tier to meh tier. It always feels like when I'm not begging for skill checks one appears, kinda like going for a 4% from the hook.

I usually find autodidact just a fun little side perk to keep me off meta perks like Off the Record and Dead Hard. It makes me feel like I'm a better survivor or outplaying a stupid Freddy with chains.
You don't have to use it, it is just a fun perk to use.
18 Comments
j0nathan800  [author] 3 Aug, 2022 @ 6:57pm 
Decided to update this guide because why not lol.
j0nathan800  [author] 15 Jul, 2020 @ 4:03pm 
Changed it to where Bond and Empathy are equal in status
j0nathan800  [author] 10 Jun, 2020 @ 12:08pm 
Thanks to AmazingElk for reminding me aftercare exists.
j0nathan800  [author] 23 May, 2020 @ 3:05pm 
Bond is more practical for surviving, but thanks for your input!
Rejn 23 May, 2020 @ 1:54pm 
Bond: To find survivors (Empathy works but bond is better.)



I think empathy is a bit better because you can see injured survivors and autodidact is healing perk.
j0nathan800  [author] 19 May, 2020 @ 10:01am 
Predated thanks for reminding me of Unnerving Presence completely forgot it existed! Also thanks for including more information on spine chill. Going to update the guide.
Rejn 19 May, 2020 @ 8:32am 
Useful guide. Thanks!
T1moRiS. 18 May, 2020 @ 6:53pm 
do help me lol
t.tv/predated1 18 May, 2020 @ 2:04pm 
To be fair, Spine Chill only has a 6% healing speed increase and a 10% increased chance of getting skill checks. Meaning that you go from 10% to 20% skill check chance for every single moment while only going from 16 seconds to 15 seconds.

Basically, every single moment spine chill is active, you have a 10% increased chance of getting a skill check, and over the entire period, you only lose 1 second.

As for a killer perk you missed, even though its not used often: unnerving presence. It actually increases your chances of getting a skill check
Bill "The Sandbag2" 18 May, 2020 @ 7:17am 
comment on my profile any/all of the following:

-rep toxic
-rep wanker
-rep tosser
-rep antimate report
-rep sandbag and flashlight
-rep too good/tryhard