Quote Originally Posted by icefractal View Post
I’m not going to immediately give up and go look for a sage to send us on a quest for the magic key - why would I even assume that’s possible?
Isn't that why we have Local or History Knowledge?

DM: "Rogue-guy, you realize that this is a lock that simply cannot be picked. Wizard-dude, you recognize arcane powers well above your ability sealing this door. Bard-boy, this door looks exactly like a drawing from one of your childhood books; The Mythos Mysteries, in which the magical key was stolen by a dragon from the north".

Railroading, to be sure. But that's better than "Nuh uh, not gonna open. What do you do now?"