Need an in-game excuse for a player absence

[Chernobyl]

Hi All,

I'm looking for some GM advice. This is for a Pathfinder campaign.

One of our players is going to be out of town for several sessions. I need a good "in game" way to explain his absence and sudden reappearance when he returns. He's willing to play along with anything that his character would reasonably do. Any thoughts?

I was thinking maybe some sort of cursed item found in a monster treasure hoard (it just so happens the group just defeated a pair of desert drakes, and have not yet explored the hoard). It could trap his character in some quasi-portable form, so the rest of the part could bring him along and revive him when he gets back.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Chernobyl

[Aegis013]

It's often more believable to have the character temporarily leave of their own accord to do something relevant to the character's interests, then meet back up with the party later. So, perhaps the party is passing near a town where the character remembers a relative living, so he excuses himself from the party temporarily to go try to find out news about his relatives, as an example.

Though, if I have access to the sheet, and the player's permission, I generally will run the character as an NPC while the player is absent. They're present, but the lights aren't on upstairs, so to speak. They follow the party around, do tasks as instructed, help reasonably in combat (generally I try to mimic the tactics of the player with their character) but they won't suggest things, or talk with NPCs or anything like that.

[Captnq]

He bumps into a passing gypsy who curses him. He turns into a Figurine of Wondrous Power. Keep his sheet. In a pinch, the other players can summon him a few times a day to help out. Since he has to follow orders as a FoWP, he has all the personality of a turnip. The curse fades when he returns.

[nedz]

Erm, some background might be helpful ?

Are they on a ship ? In a Desert ?
Are they travelling the Planes, or surfing at the beach ?

It might help with the verisimilitude of our suggestions.

[Psyren]

Erm, some background might be helpful ?

Are they on a ship ? In a Desert ?
Are they travelling the Planes, or surfing at the beach ?

It might help with the verisimilitude of our suggestions.

This, and also, what's their race/class and what's the setting? We need more information.

[Silva Stormrage]

Another option is that he might not WILLINGLY leave either. Have him get kidnapped by the villain. It also gives some personal stakes in opposing the villain. Of course this might not be IC for the BBEG but other options are available too.

[Seclora]

Character runs in to the treasure room, fails to check for traps(the fool!), and gets hit by a contingency that disables him for several out of game weeks. I'm thinking flesh to stone, or Baleful Polymorph. Or better still, Feeblemind!


Not really sure what the pathfinder equivalent spells would be, but Feeblemind is actually a pretty effective way of NPCing a character, and even makes an allowance that the character would continue to attempt to defend their friends/family.
Character isn't gone, just all of that character's mental faculties.

Edit:Feeblemind (http://paizo.com/prd/spells/feeblemind.html#_feeblemind) works the same way in Pathfinder it seems.

[JHShadon]

Perhaps he went to take a piss but one thing led to another and before he knew it he's half-way across the world fighting a dragon and still hasn't taken that piss.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

He could receive word that a relative/dear friend has died, and has decided to go to their funeral. Maybe he'll get an inheritance, and/or the circumstances surrounding this death may open up a side quest.

Maybe he fits the description of a wanted criminal, and he's kidnapped by bounty hunters and taken to a far away city so they can collect the reward. Once there, anyone who's seen the actual criminal's face will tell the bounty hunters that they have the wrong guy, but now he's stuck traveling back to the rest of the party.

[JusticeZero]

He gets drawn into a side quest. He comes back with XP to match what the party got. Have him or her come up with some ideas for where they went, then spend a few minutes tweaking it before next session with them. Give them a dramatic entrance.

[Keneth]

Use a Scar of Destiny (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/artifacts/metagame-artifacts/scar-of-destiny).

[Vizzerdrix]

I've always been a fan of a bit of silly.

A Rift swollows the player. (See Rifts for details)
A man in a blue box appears, says he need to borrow the player for a bit and takes him.
Somewhere, an outsider has just cast their version of a planar ally spell.
Player made the check to discover the one bathroom in the dungeon. Has to explore it solo.
Curse trap turns the player into a chicken when not able to attend. Follows party at a safe distance for treats.