I don't know what sort of god abandons his followers for being hopelessly duped.
In my opinion the paladin has to take consequences as to how it was possible he was so bad tricked. AFAIK the rules go that a paladin falls if he kills an innocent. The fact that he was tricked makes it possible for him to regain paladinhood, though.
Although it was me who started the thread I know think that the player doesn't really have a choice than to defend himself. Well, maybe one of the reply options that state a direct counter attack would have to be treated different, but all in all the PC doesn't have a chance to talk to the "monsters". I do not agree that falling should only come after a decision of the player / PC. If you
know it's a decision you will fall without the chance to regain paladinhood, because then you acted by your will. The fact in this encounter is that both parties think they know what's going on, and act according to their best knowledge. I agree that a "forced" falling if going to the Windspeer Hills would suck in terms of roleplaying BGII, but more or less that's what is implemented in BGII already: You
have to kill the paladins, and you
have to get Garren's help to regain your honour in front of the Order. Adding a falling would only tighten the applied rules.
If the rules say the PC paladin should fall, that is. In this scene it could be said that the ones starting the attack have to bear the consequences, which would be the paladins of the order.
-jastey
fcm: For bodies changing to monsters only after all of them are dead: That's the way it is implemented in BGII.