My PCs just completed the Catacombs of Wrath. They had previously captured Tsuto but did not interrogate him until after the Catacombs. After reading his journal, the PCs are determined to clear a path to the lower level of the catacombs.
The journal mentions "My love's too distracted with the lower chambers to make a decision." And that has them certain that they need to get through the collapsed staircase in the catacombs.
I don't like railroady campaigns and I definitely don't want to hold my players' hands through this, but I really can't have them make this diversion.
Any suggestions?
I have been known to occasionally do a "This is an official Are You Sure You Want To Do That?" to warn players this may not be a wise idea.
Though really, all you need to do is have them go down however many feet and STILL find the area is collapsed rock. The region with the Scribbler (who is at this point still very dead) may be further off.
And while they're going down all those feet? Have another goblin raid. Or have the goblins attack them while backed with Orik and the bugbear... and have Orik surrender and then tell them that Nualia's fixated on Thistletop, not this place.
All good ideas. you can also drop them hints about Thistletop if they don't know it exists, or know that it has a ruin beneath the keep (maybe a good way to insert Brodert Quink).
Frankly, clearing that rubble would take AGES, and at a certain point one of them should (maybe with prodding) think: huh, how on earth did he get down there to see his beloved recently if its beneath all this rock? especially since we've explored every inch of this place and found no secret doors ... ?
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Make them roll a Wisdom check. After they roll, impart the knowledge that the journal isn't referring to what they think its referring to. Leave it at that. At the same time, the scribbler doesn't manifest until just before book four, so even if they insist on taking the months it would take to get down there a) they won't find anything, and b) by the time they do get down there the town will have been destroyed by the intervening goblin attack.
I just used a few ghosts to run them off. Though you could have the players find the bones of very famous adventures that disappeared a few years back. On them the players find a journal that talks about the unspeakable horrors that are below. They got trapped by a cave in and the only reason their not dead before he can write down his last thoughts is their barbarian is holding up the roof so he can scribble a warning.
Sounds campy but it's an easy way to keep the players from feeling railroaded and gives them a tie to later when they come back. Now if they still want to go I say some people need to learn the hard way. I am a VERY harsh DM if the players go against every warning.