Originally Posted by
Jay R
Being open to accepting the PCs' plans isn't enough. You also have to actually accept one of them. Their plans were:
These were their plans, and you wouldn't accept any of them.
Note that this was originally your plan, and that you had to reach across the table and tell them to go do it.
A is correct. They were helpless, because everything that used their abilities failed. None of your possible endings required the fighter to draw a sword, or the wizard to cast a spell.
B is correct. They spent lots of time spinning their wheels trying things that couldn't work, without any way to know that they were wasting their time.
C is correct. Everything they tried was ruled out, and they were nudged into your plan. They obviously didn't get enough clues that a druid or dragon might help.
If you are going to let them come up with their own plan, something they should come up with should work. If you have a set plan, or set of possible plans, then they should include their abilities, and they should have more clues to it.