Dire Documents Explained

Dire Documents, subtitled "Diabolical Dossiers of Doom", is a supplement published by Chaosium in 1993 for the horror role-playing game Call of Cthulhu.

Contents

Chaosium first published the Lovecraftian horror role-playing game Call of Cthulhu in 1981, and subsequently produced a number of editions, including the 5th edition in 1992. The following year, Chaosium produced two supplemental products for use with the 5th edition under the subtitle "Diabolical Dossiers of Doom": Investigator Sheets, a set of blank character sheets; and Dire Documents, a pack of nine blank two-color forms, including:

• a certificate from the mayor for Meritorious Service
• an in-patient admission form for Arkham Sanitorium
• several letterheads of various firms, including an import-export company, an exotic-sounding society, Miskatonic University, the chief of staff of Arkham Sanitorium, and a legal firm
• a blank invitation to a formal reception
• a tongue-in-cheek award certificate for the Superlative Death of a player character^[1]

Each of these can be used by the gamemaster as player handouts in a role-playing game.

Reception

In the October 1993 edition of Dragon (#198), Rick Swan called these "indispensable for Keepers who like to make their own clues or bewilder their friends." However, Swan questioned why Chaosium did not include a folder or envelope for storage.^[2]

Reviews

• Australian Realms #11^[3]

Other recognition

A copy of Dire Documents is held in the "Edwin and Terry Murray Collection of Role-Playing Games, 1972-2017" at Duke University.^[4]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Dire Documents . rpg.net . 2021-05-01.
2. Swan. Rick. Rick Swan. October 1993 . Roleplaying Reviews. Dragon. TSR, Inc.. 198. 54.
3. Web site: Australian Realms Magazine - Complete Collection . June 1988 .
4. Web site: Edwin and Terry Murray Collection of Role-Playing Games, 1972-2017: Call of Cthulhu . Duke University Archives & Manuscripts . 2021-05-01.