Thief’s Challenge II: Beacon Point (1995) breaks the mold a bit by getting a subtitle. Otherwise, same song, different instrument: one-on-one, level 4-6, etc. This one suggests the Thieves’ Handbook for additional resources running the game, but doesn’t have a suggested kit, which is nice, though it says generally a multi-class thief or one with a kit will be better prepared.

The scenario begins with the player washing up on the shore of an island inhabited by pirates, or people who are well paid to ignore the fact that the pirates are pirates. They’re not really standard pirates. Rather, they’re shipwreckers, who set false beacons to lure ships onto the rocks, where they kill the crew and steal the salvage. Grim business that the player is meant to stop. Or take over, I suppose, if they’re evil.

There’s a lot of fun locations including the main settlement, which is pretty typical pirate town, the lighthouse and a ruined chapel. There’s no real mystery this time. More like your efforts are spent trying to find the right people to squeeze. You inevitably wind up in prison (and escape) at least once. The combat, as with all the entries in the sequel series, seems a bit too much. I’m not sure what a thief is supposed to do against a giant crab? But all in all, this bounces from one skulkingly fun activity to the next.

Terry K. Amthor of Kult and Shadow World fame wrote it. I think it is the lone bit of design he did for a company he didn’t have a stake in. A sort of odd Jeff Easley cover, feels like it was repurposed from a canceled novel; there are no dragons in the scenario that I saw. David Day is the interior illustrator. He’s got a clean, cartoonish style that I think marries well with the swashbuckling flavor of the scenario.