A bit of detective work/speculation

[Balor01]

We are currently playing a lvl 4 characters and have just sailed into a big coastal town. One of the players is leaving a group for about a month and DM decided to remove him from the group in an odd and misterious fashion.

As we entered port, most of the group was on deck while this guy was in his cabin. A few days ago he hit his head (at least that what it seemed like), got permanently unconcious and he had a strange wound on it. A bit like he was bitten by an octupus. Anyway, he had his personal guard with him and as the ship entered port, one of us went to check up on him and - the cabin was empty. Our PC buddy and his guard were gone.

We have searched an entire ship, all crates, boats, everything (and its a small ship, like 60 x 60 ft.) and did not find anything. So, OOC I asked the DM: Is this disapearrance mechanically justified? And he said "yes". I believe him but still wonder ... greater teleport?(that would take willing participants ...) Something that took them by force? The cabin was on deck, we would have heard screaming or a fight. We were like 30 feet away from it ...

What is your thought, playground? Just before we entered port we have met a large ship with extremely powerful magic on it (entires hip) and its owner (a wizard) did talk to us and asked some favour o us. So, mechanically, i do not know ... lvl 10+ ?

that is what I got

[Sorc]

Wish might be able to do it. Also, the gm can do anything he wants, so you might find, as soon as your group member is back, he reappears out of thin air.

[Balor01]

Eh, Wish can do almost anything. What lower lvl spells could do it?

[The Grue]

Unconscious targets are considered "willing".

Just throwing that out there.

[Balor01]

@The Grue

Did not know that but was thinking a lot along this line. The only mistery that then remains is the bodyguard.

[ComaVision]

(and its a small ship, like 60 x 60 ft.)

Was it difficult sailing a square ship?

[Bronk]

Perhaps he was hit by a geas (or dominate, etc.), woke up, and just took off with his guard?

The wound might a clue as to what might have done it, and be mostly flavor text.

[Kantolin]

Polymorph?

Shrunk?

Sleep spell and then snuck out?

Binding?

Unsummoned?

Illusion; he's still there?

Disintigrate/Gust of Wind?

Planar Travel?

Invisibility spell?

Anyway, if he's been removed due to 'the player will be gone for awhile', then it's probably best on a meta level that you not focus too much on it. I mean... if you were to actually find him,then you'd be back to the 'Now there's a PC with no player' problem, heh.

[Vogonjeltz]

We are currently playing a lvl 4 characters and have just sailed into a big coastal town. One of the players is leaving a group for about a month and DM decided to remove him from the group in an odd and misterious fashion.

As we entered port, most of the group was on deck while this guy was in his cabin. A few days ago he hit his head (at least that what it seemed like), got permanently unconcious and he had a strange wound on it. A bit like he was bitten by an octupus. Anyway, he had his personal guard with him and as the ship entered port, one of us went to check up on him and - the cabin was empty. Our PC buddy and his guard were gone.

We have searched an entire ship, all crates, boats, everything (and its a small ship, like 60 x 60 ft.) and did not find anything. So, OOC I asked the DM: Is this disapearrance mechanically justified? And he said "yes". I believe him but still wonder ... greater teleport?(that would take willing participants ...) Something that took them by force? The cabin was on deck, we would have heard screaming or a fight. We were like 30 feet away from it ...

What is your thought, playground? Just before we entered port we have met a large ship with extremely powerful magic on it (entires hip) and its owner (a wizard) did talk to us and asked some favour o us. So, mechanically, i do not know ... lvl 10+ ?

that is what I got

Some horrifying options to contemplate:
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/intellectDevourer.htm
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/temporalFilcher.htm
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/puppeteer.htm

Of course, two of those result in your erstwhile companions' untimely death, so probably not what the DM did, given the anticipation your player will rejoin (unless they aren't planning on playing the same character).

Can you tell more about the character in question? (Do they have any enemies who might have done this or allies who might be trying to help them?)
Who was the personal guard? (Might they not be involved?)
Did no one see them get bitten?
If not, where/when/who found them?
Who, if anyone, knew they were on the boat, and in that cabin?

Other than the PC and their Guard, is anyone or anything else missing? For example:
Was their gear missing too?
Was the cabin at all disturbed?
Were there items in the cabin not previously present?
Did you attempt to detect magic?
Search/Track checks?

It may be the DM will reveal the cause all in due time, perhaps as a rescue mission prior to the player coming back to join the group.
There are many higher level spell options that could spirit away the two without you hearing it (Superior/Greater Invisibility, Plane Shift, Polymorph Any Object, Gate, Sequester, Wish, etc...).

Lower level options: Charm Person, Hypnotism, Sleep, Silent Image, Rope Trick, Invisibility, Minor Image, etc.. would be enough to get the characters to remove themselves or hide them fairly adequately from a non-magical or casual search.