High-temperature plasmas were generated by focussing 225-J gain-switched CO2 laser pulses onto planar solid targets within the bore of a Bitter solenoid magnet. DC magnetic fields up to 100 kG were applied parallel to the laser propagation vector, partially confining a long plasma column streaming away from the target. Target materials included teflon (CF2), graphite, and Al. Soft x-ray diagnostics, including a dual-channel, time-resolving TAP crystal spectrometer, a pinhole camera, and differentially-filtered p-i-n diodes, were used to determine electron density, electron temperature, and axial and radial expansion characteristics of the plasma. From these measurements, it was deduced that effects of refraction became increasingly important as B was increased; furthermore, these effects were strongly dependent on target material. For all targets, refraction occurred late in the pulse when the radially confined plasmas left the focal volume. For teflon and aluminum targets, but not for the lower Z graphite targets, it was inferred that significant side scattering also occurred early in the pulse with sufficiently strong magnetic fields.