Elliot Spencer alias Pinhead — The Cenobite
| The Cenobite | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name | Elliot Spencer |
| Game Alias(es) | "Lead Cenobite"
"Hell Priest" |
| Gender | Man |
| Origin | English |
| Power | Summons of Pain |
| Power Attack Type | Special Attack
(Chains) |
| Weapon | Hook & Chain |
Movement Speed   |
115 % | 4.6 m/s |
Terror Radius  |
32 metres |
Height   |
Tall |
| DLC | CHAPTER 21: Hellraiser™ |
| Voice Actor | Doug Bradley (Original Actor) |
| Breathing | |
| Menu Music | |
| Terror Radius Music | |
| CharID | K25 |
Elliot Spencer or "The Cenobite", also known as "Pinhead", is one of 39 Killers
currently featured in Dead by Daylight
.
He was introduced as the Killer of CHAPTER 21: Hellraiser™, a Chapter DLC released on 7 September 2021, which was delisted from platform stores on 4 March 2025 and 13 March 2025 for the Nintendo eShop.
He remains a playable Character for all Players who purchased him prior to 4 April 2025.
He originates from the 1987 Horror Movie franchise, Hellraiser.
Overview
|
The Cenobite, also known as Pinhead, specializes in inflicting map-wide suffering. Survivors must find the Lament Configuration lest a Chain Hunt begin, debilitating their movement with a relentless barrage of otherworldly shackles. The Cenobite can also summon a chain to bind Survivors, allowing him to gain ground and inflict punishment. | 
|
The Cenobite is a summoning Killer, able to possess Chain Projectiles and use the Lament Configuration to torture every Survivor at once.
His personal Perks, Deadlock
, Hex: Plaything
, and Scourge Hook: Gift of Pain
, allow him to slow Generator Progression and continue to torment Survivors who have experienced his sweet suffering.
Difficulty Rating: Very Hard
(These Killers require a high amount of practice and understanding, inexperienced Players are likely to find little success when using them)
Lore
A demon to some, an angel to others. Pinhead is an explorer in the further regions of experience, indulging in the limitless thrill of pleasure and pain. When the puzzle box known as the Lament Configuration — a key to another dimension — was found in The Entity's Realm, it was only a matter of time before it fell into curious hands. Once opened, he arrived. What came next was sweet suffering that spilled over the Realm.
Load-out
Unique Perks
The Cenobite comes with 3 Perks
that are unique to him:
 |
Deadlock | THIS PERK WAS RETIRED (This Unlockable can no longer be obtained and stockpiles can no longer be used. It will not return to the Game.) Identical to No Holds Barred "Nobody escapes us." — Pinhead |
|---|---|---|
 |
Hex: Plaything | THIS PERK WAS RETIRED (This Unlockable can no longer be obtained and stockpiles can no longer be used. It will not return to the Game.) Identical to Hex: Fortune's Fool "We came. Now you must come with us. Taste our pleasure." — Pinhead |
 |
Scourge Hook: Gift of Pain | THIS PERK WAS RETIRED (This Unlockable can no longer be obtained and stockpiles can no longer be used. It will not return to the Game.) Identical to Scourge Hook: Weeping Wounds "We will tear your soul apart." — Pinhead |
Prestige
Prestiging The Cenobite will automatically add Tier I of his Unique Perks to the inventories of all other Killers and unlock the ability for their higher-tiered versions to spawn in their Bloodweb
.
Prestige The Cenobite twice more to automatically add Tier II and Tier III respectively into the other Killers' inventories.
Weapon: Hook & Chain
The Hook & Chain are the Primary Weapon of The Cenobite.
He wields them with thrill.
Power: Summons of Pain
"An extradimensional gateway that leads to pleasure and pain so great it will tear your soul apart."
SPECIAL ABILITY: SUMMONS OF PAIN
Press the Power button to conjure a Gateway up to 16 metres away in front of The Cenobite.
Release the Power button to open the Gateway and possess it.
SPECIAL ATTACK: POSSESSED CHAIN
Press the Attack button while possessing the Gateway to summon forth a guided Possessed Chain under your control.
Hitting a Survivor with the Possessed Chain causes the following effects:
- Binds the Survivor with 3 Chains.
- Reduces their Movement speed:
- 1.13 m/s with 3 Chains.
- 1.695 m/s with 2 Chains.
- 2.26 m/s with 1 Chain.
- Causes them to suffer from the Incapacitated
Status Effect. - Suppresses their ability to run.
- Blocks the Exit Gates
.
- This effect lingers for 5 seconds after all Chains are removed.
SPECIAL INTERACTION: BREAKING CHAINS
Bound Survivors can perform the Break Free interaction to remove one Chain at a time, each taking 1 second.
Chains are broken upon colliding with the environment, which will spawn a replacement Chain that will attempt to bind the Survivor again.
Chains are also broken when colliding with other Players, but this will not spawn a replacement Chain.
SPECIAL ITEM: LAMENT CONFIGURATION
The Lament Configuration
spawns in a random location in the environment at the start of the Trial and slowly charges a Chain Hunt
The Aura
of the Lament Configuration is revealed to Survivors in white at all times and changes to yellow during an active Chain Hunt.
Any Survivor can pick up the Lament Configuration to prevent it from continuing charging a Chain Hunt or ending an on-going one, but not without suffering from the following effects:
- Causes the Survivor to suffer from a permanent Oblivious
Status Effect. - Causes all of their ambient sounds to be replaced with a haunting tune.
- Triggers a Chain Hunt targetting only them.
The Lament Configuration cannot be dropped, demanding to be solved to remove it from their possession.
If they are attacked by The Cenobite, it is dropped from their grasp and respawns after 30 seconds.
SPECIAL ABILITY: CHAIN HUNT
When left to its own devices, the Lament Configuration charges a Chain Hunt over the course of 90 seconds.
During a Chain Hunt, Survivors are repeatedly targetted by Chains spawning from nearby Gateways, which attempt to bind them until 3 Chains are attached to them.
This process continues indefinitely until a Survivor picks up the Lament Configuration.
If The Cenobite picks it up from the ground himself, he instantly starts a Chain Hunt in addition to the following effects:
- Causes all Survivors to be bound by 3 Chains.
- Causes all Survivors to scream and reveal their location for 3 seconds.
- Causes the Lament Configuration to respawn after 10 seconds.
If the condition of the Last Survivor Standing is met, Chain Hunts will still activate, but not spawn any Chains, leaving the Last Survivor Standing untouched.
SPECIAL INTERACTION: SOLVING
Solving the Lament Configuration takes 6 seconds to complete:
- Triggers Killer Instinct.
- Causes it to disappear and respawn in a random location after 45 seconds upon success.
SPECIAL LOCOMOTION: TELEPORT
While a Survivor is solving the Lament Configuration, The Cenobite is granted the ability to teleport to within 10 to 12 metres of their location.
- Interrupts the Solving process and briefly binds the Survivor in place with Chains shooting from the Lament Configuration.
Power Audio
| Lament Configuration Tune | Plays on a continuous loop for the Survivor carrying the Lament Configuration. Replaces all other Ambient sounds. | |
|---|---|---|
| Lament Configuration Spawn Cue | Plays whenever the Lament Configuration respawns. Also plays on the first spawn. | |
| Original Lament Configuration Spawn Cue | The first Lament Configuration spawn cue used on the 5.2.0 PTB. This sound was scrapped and replaced with the one above upon The Cenobite's release. | |
| Lament Configuration Escape | Plays after a Survivor escapes with the Lament Configuration. This prevents the box from respawning for the remainder of the Endgame Collapse    .
|
Power Trivia
Movement Speeds:
- Chain Strike: 3.68 m/s
- Uncontrolled Projectile: 10 m/s
- Controlled Projectile (initially): 10 m/s
- Controlled Projectile (intermittently; after 0.4 seconds): 15 m/s
- Controlled Projectile (intermittently, after 0.7 seconds): 37.5 m/s
- Controlled Projectile (eventually, after 4 seconds): 40 m/s
Gateway:
- The Gateway works the same as The Nurse's Blink indicator when using Plaid Flannel
- Minimum Placement distance: 1.5 metres
- Maximum Placement distance: 16 metres
- Placement speed: 8 m/s
- This refers to the speed at which the Gateway is moving away from The Cenobite during the Placement phase.
- Placement Cancellation cool-down time: 1.5 seconds
Gateway Possession:
- Camera Pan time: 0.5 seconds
- Field of View Change time: 0.75 seconds
- Possession Cancellation cool-down time: 3 seconds
- Killer Repossession Fade-in time: 0.25 seconds
- Maximum Possession duration: 6 seconds
- After this time elapses, control will revert back to The Cenobite.
Gateway Pitch Angles:
- Maximum/Minimum Pitch Angle: ±45 °
- This refers to how high/low The Cenobite can look while possessing the Gateway from an imagined horizon.
Lament Configuration (Chain Hunt):
- Chain Hunt Charge time: 90 seconds
- After spawning the Lament Configuration.
- Minimum Chain Hunt Attack delay: 9 seconds
- Maximum Chain Hunt Attack delay: 12 seconds
- Chain Targeting Cool-down: 4 seconds
- This applies to the Survivor holding the Lament Configuration
- Number of Chains targeting Survivors after Cenobite pick-up: 3 Chains
- Loud Noise Notification duration: 3 seconds
- Escape Grasp charge time: 2 seconds
Lament Configuration (Respawn Times):
- Picked-up by The Cenobite: 10 seconds
- Solved by a Survivor: 45 seconds
- Removed from a Survivor's grasp: 45 seconds
- Removed from a Survivor's grasp by The Cenobite attacking: 30 seconds
Lament Configuration (Spawn Location):
The Lament Configuration has the following behaviour in regards to choosing its spawn and respawn location:
- When running the Spawn Routine, the Lament Configuration first maps all possible Spawn locations in the Trial Grounds and checks their distance to Survivors and The Cenobite:
- if a spawn location is within 16 metres of any Survivor, its chances decrease by -5,000 points.
- if a spawn location is within 40 metres of The Cenobite, its chances decrease by -15,000 points.
- any spawn locations outside of these radii have an equal chance to be picked as the Lament Configuration's spawn location.
Lament Configuration (Solving):
- Interaction time: 6 seconds
- Interaction cool-down: 1 second
- Skill Check:
- Penalty time: 1 second
- Duration: 1.1 seconds
- Trigger chance: 100 %
- Good Success Zone length: 15 %
- Good Success bonus: 0 %
- Great Success Zone length: 2.5 %
- Great Success bonus: 2 %
Teleportation:
- Charge time: 3.25 seconds
- Slow-down duration post-teleport: 1.25 seconds
- Minimum Teleportation distance: to within 10 metres of the Survivor
- Maximum Teleportation distance: to within 12 metres of the Survivor
Chains:
- Exit Blocker Linger time: 5 seconds
- This refers to how long the Exit Gate Blocker lingers after a Survivor is downed while Chained.
- Removal duration for Survivors: 1 second per Chain
- Maximum number of attached Chains: 3 Chains
- Maximum Length before breaking off: 18 metres
- Post-Unhook Immunity duration: 3 seconds
- This is so Survivors are not immediately targeted by Chains after being unhooked.
- While chained; Survivors are unable to run and each additional Chain further reduces their Movement speed:
- 1 Chain: 2.26 m/s
- 2 Chains: 1.695 m/s
- 3 Chains: 1.13 m/s
Deep Wound:
- The Deep Wound timer is paused while a Survivor is performing the Remove Chains interaction.
Chain Projectiles (General):
- Field of View Change time: 0.75 seconds
- Shot Cool-down time: 5 seconds
- Reel-Back speed: 20 m/s
Chain Projectiles (Controlled):
- Initial Projectile speed: 10 m/s
- Maximum Yaw Turn rate: 125 ° per Server Tick
- Maximum Pitch Turn Rate: 100 ° per Server Tick
- Maximum Travel distance: 24 metres
- Roll Angle speed: 3.5 °
- Roll Angle Reset speed: 10 °
- Maximum Roll Angle: 25 °
- Bonus Chains on Hit: +2 Chains
- Additional Chains that will instantly grab the Survivor hit by a controlled Chain.
Chain Projectiles (Uncontrolled):
- Launch delay: 1.5 seconds
- This refers to how long the Game waits before launching an uncontrolled Chain after its spawn location is revealed.
- Spawn buffer: 3 seconds
- This refers to how long the Game waits before launching another uncontrolled Chain.
- Minimum Spawn distance to Survivor: 2.5 metres
- Maximum Spawn distance to Survivor: 6 metres
- Projectile Speed: 10 m/s
- Maximum Travel distance: 16 metres
- Reel-Back Speed: 20 m/s
- Only applies to Chains that did not hit a Survivor.
- Maximum length until Break-off: 18 metres.
Add-ons for Summons of Pain
| Icon | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
 |
Bent Nail | A simple nail that cut deep into Larry Cotton's hand. Though the damage was superficial, it set into motion a horrifying set of events.
|
 |
Burning Candle | A candle lit by Frank Cotton during a fatal summoning ceremony.
|
 |
Leather Strip | Leather strips torn from a Cenobite's uniform, allowing for the mutilation of exposed flesh.
|
 |
Lively Crickets | Insects which scarcely avoided being eaten by a mysterious drifter.
|
 |
Flickering Television | A television that acted strangely upon the arrival of the Cenobites.
|
 |
Liquified Gore | The result of summoning the Cenobites. There is no telling what part of the human body this belonged to.
|
 |
Skewered Rat | A crude solution for the Cotton home's rat problem.
|
 |
Spoiled Meal | A pile of mould, feasted on by a cockroach. Perhaps a sign of Frank Cotton's mysterious disappearance...
|
 |
Wriggling Maggots | Larvae that poured from the mouth of a corpse hidden in the Cotton household.
|
 |
Frank's Heart | The beating heart of Frank, given life from his brother's blood.
"Nobody escapes us." — Pinhead |
 |
Larry's Blood | The blood of Larry Cotton, which partially resurrected his brother Frank.
|
 |
Larry's Remains | The skeletal remains of Larry Cotton, covered in a thick, sticky layer of blood.
"We want the man who did this." — Pinhead |
 |
Slice of Frank | A slab of Frank's face after his torture at the hand of the Cenobites.
"The Cenobites gave me an experience beyond limits. Pain and pleasure, indivisible." — Frank Cotton |
 |
Torture Pillar | A dangling slab covered in the gore of past victims.
"This isn't for your eyes." — Pinhead |
 |
Chatterer's Tooth | A fragment from a Cenobite whose mouth chatters endlessly. This tooth, having broken from his jaw, is finally silent.
|
 |
Greasy Black Lens | A lens from the sunglasses of an obese Cenobite whose fleshy rolls droop down his face and neck.
|
 |
Impaling Wire | A wire that pierces the cheeks of a Cenobite, while revealing the gaping wound on her neck.
|
 |
Original Pain | The first pin pushed into Pinhead's skull. Such pleasure and pain.
"No tears, please. It's a waste of good suffering." — Pinhead |
 |
Engineer's Fang | A sharp tooth from the maw of a fleshy, scorpion-like creature, known to accompany Cenobites on their grim undertakings.
"We have such sights to show you." — Pinhead |
 |
Iridescent Lament Configuration | A glass-like puzzle box moulded from The Fog itself. This replica differs from the original, providing altogether new powers.
"You opened it. We came." — Pinhead |
Achievements
- Main article: Achievements
There are 2 Achievements related to The Cenobite:
| Icon | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
|
Adept Cenobite | THIS HAS BEEN RETIRED. Playing as The Cenobite, achieve a Merciless Victory using only his 3 Unique Perks: Deadlock, Hex: Plaything, and Scourge Hook: Gift of Pain |
|
Tear Their Soul Apart | Playing as The Cenobite   , bind Survivors using with your Possessed Chain a total of 50 times.
|
Cosmetic Options
Players can choose from a variety of Cosmetic options to customise The Cenobite:
Base Cosmetics
Default
| Icon | Name | Body | Rarity | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Pinhead | 
|
Common | The leader of demonic creatures devoted to experimental torture and ruler of Hell, an extra-dimensional realm. |
|
Hell Harness | 
|
Common | Leather suit displaying his extreme body modification and ritual scarification. |
|
|
Hook & Chain | 
|
Common | The cruel hook & chain he wields with thrill. |
Prestige
| Icon | Name | Body | Rarity | Description | Additional Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Bloody Pinhead |
|
Rare | Bloodthirsty leader of demonic creatures devoted to experimental torture and ruler of Hell, an extra-dimensional realm. | Prestige Level 6 Reward |
|
Bloodstained Harness | 
|
Rare | Leather suit displaying his extreme body modification and ritual scarification. | Prestige Level 5 Reward |
|
Bloodied Hook & Chain |
|
Rare | The blood-dripping hook & chain he wields with thrill. | Prestige Level 4 Reward |
Perk Charms
| Prestige Level 7 Reward | Prestige Level 8 Reward | Prestige Level 9 Reward |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
| A keepsake gained upon mastery of a particular skill. | ||
In-Game Store
Thumbnail
Contains
Name
Collection Name
Release Date
Price
 Description
Explorer in the further regions of experience. Demons to some, angels to others.
800
 ⇓ Expand ⇓
 Piece
Name
Collection
Garment displaying intricate forms of body scarification to experiment with the limits of human sensations.
400
 Piece
Name
Collection
The perverse hook & chain he wields with cruelty and satisfaction.
400
Thumbnail
Contains
Name
Collection Name
Release Date
Price
 Description
An avid servant of Pinhead, dedicated to exploring the limits of human sensations.
1485
⇓ Expand ⇓
 Piece
Name
Collection
His face was severely disfigured. His lips were peeled back to expose his teeth, which he clicks together to communicate.
 Piece
Name
Collection
Leather suit displaying his rites of extreme scarification.
 Piece
Name
Collection
The vicious hook & chain he wields with violence and satisfaction.
|
Alternate Character Models
The Cenobite has 1 alternate Character model available in the in-game Store:
- The Chatterer
DLC
The Cenobite is part of 2 DLC:
Change Log
Patch 5.2.1
- QoL: Survivors attempting to solve the Lament Configuration during a Chain Hunt will be attacked by chains should they stop solving the Lament Configuration rather than be attacked while attempting to solve it.
- QoL: prioritized teleporting mechanic to ensure The Cenobite teleports to the same level as the Survivor on multi-level maps to prevent teleporting to an incorrect level.
Patch 5.4.0
- Rebalancing: balance changes to some Add-ons.
- This change was motivated by The Cenobite exceeding performance expectations and to reduce his oppressiveness.
Patch 5.5.0
- Change: added updated and expanded voice-lines for The Cenobite.
Patch 6.7.0
- Nerf: the Lament Configuration will now teleport if The Cenobite stands on it for 5 seconds.
- This change was motivated by some Cenobite players standing on the Lament Configuration for long periods of time, which would cause the Chain Hunt to last indefinitely.
Patch 8.5.0
- Quality of Life: removed the Progress bar from the Teleport interaction.
Trivia
- The Cenobite is the first Killer to not physically interact with the environment or Survivors, relying solely on his conjured chains to do his bidding.
- This is inspired by how The Cenobite almost never physically interacts with his victims in the Hellraiser films, instead interacting through his chains.
- The Cenobite is the second Killer to interact with Breakables through telekinetic powers.
- The Cenobite is the first Killer whose Mori removed the Survivors' body from the Trial Grounds, as hitherto the corpses of the Survivors generally remained after being killed.
- It is possible to stop The Cenobite teleporting by stunning him.
- The Cenobite is the second Character added to the Game who was voiced by his original actor.
- The Cenobite is one of few Killers who have entered the Trials without the consent of The Entity.
- The Cenobite is the second of two Killers to be retracted for purchase.
- The first was The Demogorgon
, which returned for purchase nearly 2 years after being retracted for sale.
- The first was The Demogorgon
Voice-Lines
- The Cenobite was the second Killer in the Game to actively speak in Trials.
- All of his voice-lines are based on quotes from the first Hellraiser film.
- While The Chatterer Legendary Outfit is equipped, no voice lines are played, instead The Chatterer will make a chattering noise, which uses sound effects made with actual fake teeth.
Original Voice-Lines
- In the Public Test Build for his Release-Chapter, Patch 5.2.0, The Cenobite had voice-lines spoken by an unknown Voice Actor, which were removed for the live release without much explanation other than "they weren't quite ready yet".
| Action | Voice Line | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| Teleporting to the Survivor solving the Lament Configuration. | "You opened the Box! I came!" | |
| "The Box, you opened it! I came! | ||
| "The Box, you opened it! And I came!" | ||
| Performing his Memento Mori. | "I shall tear your soul apart!" |
Current Voice-Lines
- In the Public Test Build for Patch 5.5.0, The Cenobite's voice-lines were reinstated and expanded upon.
To the Community's great surprise, it was revealed that Pinhead's original actor from the first eight live-action Hellraiser movies, Doug Bradley himself, had reprised his role for Dead by Daylight and voiced the new voice-lines.- In a tweet, Steph Sciullo (Doug Bradley's wife) confirmed that the voice-lines were recorded at a professional studio in Pittsburgh and digitally altered to mimic the pitch and ethereal sound of Pinhead's voice in Hellraiser.
| Action | Voice Line | Audio |
|---|---|---|
| Starting to teleport to the Survivor solving the Lament Configuration. | "The Box, you opened it!" | |
| "You summoned me!" | ||
| Finishing to teleport to the Survivor solving the Lament Configuration. | "I came!" | |
| Hitting the Survivor carrying the Lament Configuration. | "Oh no! Don't do that!" | |
| Picking up a downed Survivor. | "What a waste of good suffering!" | |
| "Now you must come with me!" | ||
| "You shall not escape me!" | ||
| Hooking a Survivor. | "I must be going now!" | |
| "Oh please! No tears, they are a waste of good suffering!" | ||
| "I'll tear your soul apart!" | ||
| Performing his Memento Mori. | "I have such sights to show you!" | |
| Being stunned by a Pallet. | "Oh no! Don't do that!" | |
| "Hmm!" | ||
| Chaining a Survivor in the Exit Gate area. | "You shall not escape me!" |
Gallery
In-game assets
The Cenobite
The Cenobite (Portrait render)
The Cenobite (Background image)
Official art
Removed background and edited lighting
DbD Mobile artwork
Old assets
The Cenobite (Old Portrait render)
Concept arts
'Hell Priest' Early Designs
'Hell Priest' Concept + Head Designs
Screenshots
Felix being assaulted by a barrage of Chains.
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