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Hey, since everyone else has joined in on the latest round of cruel paladin dilemma topics, I want in too!
(please keep in mind I like paladins)
The situation:
You're a paladin.
A dying philanthropist has requested that you seek out the demonic cult that killed her kind, devout daughter and bring them to justice.
The philanthropist is certain she'll be reunited with her daughter in Heaven/Nirvana/Elysium. She simply wants to prevent any more harm from coming to others and she wants to understand why the cult targetted her daughter.
You and your crew bust up the cult. They are vanquished, imprisoned, a threat no longer.
During your investigations at the cult's headquarters, you discover that the philanthropist's daughter was a willing member of the cult after being seduced into their fold, and that she offered her own soul as sacrifice to a demon lord. She is condemned to the Abyss seemingly forever, likely being molded into a fiend herself.
The philanthropist is on her deathbed, awaiting news of your victory.
What do you do?
Tell the truth.
The possibilities:
"Your daughter was abducted, possibly tortured, violated, abused, then sacrificed. She died terrified and likely wet herself. The people responsible are imprisoned now."
Or...
"Your daughter was manipulated and fooled into being a willing participant. She died willingly and calmly in a misguided attempt to advance a cause that she believed in, which happened to be evil. The people responsible are imprisoned now."
There's no difference, really. One is a physical violation and one is mental. Also, I don't see that anything in a paladin's code involves lying to make someone else happy. At best, an understanding paladin would remain silent on the topic.
"The people responsible for what befell your daughter are imprisoned now."
If pressured to "tell me about it", the paladin can tell of the fighting involved. If asked how the daughter was involved... tell the truth.
I'm pretty sure you're doing exactly what a paladin should do - and in the most awesome way you can do it.
"She's going to be up there. If she ain't up there now...I'm bringing her there."
I look at it this way (and it's not even a paladin answer):
Only an atheist has any valid reason to lie. This is true in Pathfinder/D&D and it's true in our real world.
The whole point of this "merciful lie" is to give the dying mother some peace of mind in her last days. And the only way that is of any benefit to her if, once she dies, she is just worm food. No soul. No afterlife.
Because if she does have a soul, and if there is an afterlife, then this now-dead parent will spend eternity in her afterlife knowing the truth, and knowing that you lied. And you'll know that too. So what could you possibly gain by lying if you know it gains nothing?
In real life, we choose to believe or not believe in an afterlife, and it's strictly a matter of faith. But in Golarion, the gods are real, afterlife is real, and people can even go there and see it for themselves if they're powerful enough to make the trip. And I don't believe the concept of an atheist paladin is viable, so I don't think a paladin would have a valid reason to lie.
Side note: selfishness is an invalid reason to lie. Our own selfish wish to not burden ourselves with the onus of delivering the horrible news might motivate us to lie. Not because we want to spare the dying parent, but because we want to spare ourselves the discomfort. Since selfishness is not a paladinly virtue, I would hope no paladin would stoop to this excuse.
Oh, and as for me personally, what I would do is eat the old philanthropist. One little Chomp!. She's probably no more than an hors d'ouvre anyway.
This would make me feel good twice.
Once, because she's probably yummy. And again, because I would be putting her out of her misery, prematurely ending whatever lingering illness or decrepitude is bringing about her slow, suffering demise. I would be doing her a favor, really, because with that one little Chomp! I would hasten her arrival in her afterlife where she can quickly find out for herself all the torrid little details of her progeny's perfidy.
YMMV (Your Mastication May Vary)
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Only an atheist has any valid reason to lie. This is true in Pathfinder/D&D and it's true in our real world.
The whole point of this "merciful lie" is to give the dying mother some peace of mind in her last days. And the only way that is of any benefit to her if, once she dies, she is just worm food. No soul. No afterlife.
Because if she does have a soul, and if there is an afterlife, then this now-dead parent will spend eternity in her afterlife knowing the truth, and knowing that you lied. And you'll know that too. So what could you possibly gain by lying if you know it gains nothing?
In real life, we choose to believe or not believe in an afterlife, and it's strictly a matter of faith. But in Golarion, the gods are real, afterlife is real, and people can even go there and see it for themselves if they're powerful enough to make the trip. And I don't believe the concept of an atheist paladin is viable, so I don't think a paladin would have a valid reason to lie.
Not all cosmologies have the souls of the dead retaining most of their mortal memories though. Some cosmologies have an purposefully vague standard on how much knowledge you can "take with you" over to the other side. Petitioners in Planescape for example lack definite memories of their mortal lives. In the Golarion setting, Nirvana comes close to this, although I think it works along the lines of petitioners slowly forgetting about their mortal memories. (someone a bit more fresh on reading Great Beyond might want to fact check that, of course)
And then there's the uncertainty of whether or not an arrival in one of the good upper planes would be completely shielded from all misery, including the agony of knowing one's loved one is damned on another plane. I can see different good afterlives going different ways on that matter.
And then there's the matter of how well any of this is known to the living.
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I think that from a paladin's standpoint, the whole "merciful lie" thing is a big copout. The paladin would be trying to dodge the hard way by doing this. The paladin would tell the truth.
Paladin's don't pussyfoot around with the truth.
It's part of the reason they get to smite sucka's.
re: atheists,....they can be just as big a pain in the ass about doing the right thing for truth and honor and all that jazz as any religious zealot, depending on the atheist.
Chaotic Good: "She made a deal with those demons and they rightfully own her soul. Screw the deal, maybe we can steal her soul back somehow. I'll find out if there is a way to break the deal."
Neutral Good: "Your daughter was seduced by evil. Perhaps it's not too late. We need to find someone who can communicate with outsiders, maybe a deal can be made. I'll gladly switch my soul for hers if that is going to save her. Surely she'll see the error of her ways."
Lawful Good: "Your daughter may have been good at one time, but she was seduced by evil and became evil herself. She is now receiving her rightful punishment. Praise the gods that the wicked are punished. Why are you crying?"
Paladins are Lawful Good and rigidly so. Neutral good is the ultimate good even if the rules must be bent, but Lawful Good is good within the rules. Telling the truth is the rule, as is the "good go to heaven, evil go to hell" thing.
"I don't know for certain, and I would be remiss to speculate. We can hope and pray that she sought and received forgiveness for any misdeeds she'd performed."
"I don't know for certain, and I would be remiss to speculate. We can hope and pray that she sought and received forgiveness for any misdeeds she'd performed."
That would be a direct lie. A paladin doesn't lie.
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Just curious, but how do they know she was seduced into the cult? I mean, their source is likely to be someone in the cult. And we know how honest and trustworthy demon-worshipping cultists are, don't we? What better way to strike back at a group you can't hurt than make them question what they're doing?
At the very least Speak with Dead on the cultist leader, that way he can't avoid answering the question. Or Zone of Truth if he managed to live. That on'es even on the Paladin's spell list.
Another alternative (although hideosuly expensive and almost certain to fail) would be to resurrect the daughter and redeem her. Just pretend you're Harry Dresden and she's Molly.
That would be a direct lie. A paladin doesn't lie.
It's only a direct lie if the paladin's knowledge of the situation is a certainty. If there is room for doubt, it's best not to speculate.
The paladin's most obvious option is to simply refrain from answering.
That would be a direct lie. A paladin doesn't lie."I don't know for certain, and I would be remiss to speculate. We can hope and pray that she sought and received forgiveness for any misdeeds she'd performed."
I agree. This sounds more like a corrupt inquisitor's answer.
A Paladin is unable to tell a lie. That said, there is nothing stopping the Paladin simply refusing to speak of it, or swearing to the Mother that he will do everything within his power to try and redeem the daughter or recover her soul.
In Golarion, I'm also labouring under the concept that souls don't retain clear memories of their mortal lives, at least not for long. So on one hand the Paladin has a finite time-limit to recover the Daughter's soul, and after experiencing the Nine Hells/Infinite Abyss, I've little doubt even the blackest soul wouldn't reach out for redemption.
Stay in the Plane long enough as a naked soul, however, and you will eventually absorb all the natural attributes of the Plane, or worse still be absorbed by the Plane and become an Evil Outsider yourself.
And that's assuming the natives don't EAT the damn soul. If she sold herself to the Demon Lord/Devil King, there is little time to waste as her soul could very well be under the process of being transmuted into something right now.
1)The paladin can tell her the truth, being honest but compasionate relaying what you learned.
2)Evading the truth or even lying to soften her suffering would be acceptable provided the paladin seeks atonement for it at a later time.
either would be acceptable to me as a GM, in some ways I actually prefer the 2nd.. good being the greater virtue over law.
Lawful Good: "Your daughter may have been good at one time, but she was seduced by evil and became evil herself. She is now receiving her rightful punishment. Praise the gods that the wicked are punished. Why are you crying?"Perhapse needlessly harsh, but essentially, weather the Paladin states the truth bluntly or gently, a Paladin would tell the truth.
A "better" options might have been ...
Lawful Good: "Sadly, your daughter was seduced by evil."
And leave it at that.
Agreed, the Paladin actually would probably not be harsh with the nice lady.
I guess my two points are:
1) The paladin would not lie, nor would he make a lie of omission.
2) The paladin would respect the rules of "good souls go to heaven, the corrupted receive eternal punishment" and trust that these rules are in place for a good reason, even if he fails to understand them.
Paladins ain't outsiders. That's one of the reasons gods HAVE paladins - because while the outsider would nod and shrug and go "Welp, that's that," the paladin is fueled by his mortality and all that comes with it and is willing to smash the wheels of fate and say "No. This is wrong. This isn't how it ends." Paladins just as much - if not more - then any other class need to be willing to be active and not simply stand aside and watch as bad things happen.
When the innocent girl is seduced and led into evil, you don't wash your hands and think that's that. You go down and you redeem the hell out of her, even if - no, especially if all, of the hells stand against you.
Paladins ain't outsiders. That's one of the reasons gods HAVE paladins - because while the outsider would nod and shrug and go "Welp, that's that," the paladin is fueled by his mortality and all that comes with it and is willing to smash the wheels of fate and say "No. This is wrong. This isn't how it ends." Paladins just as much - if not more - then any other class need to be willing to be active and not simply stand aside and watch as bad things happen.
When the innocent girl is seduced and led into evil, you don't wash your hands and think that's that. You go down and you redeem the hell out of her, even if - no, especially if all, of the hells stand against you.
But ...
It is also unfair to expect the Paladin character to take on a greater burden then he can carry.
Fact: Even if he could get to the Hells, there is one problem with this idea of going and redeeming someone. They have to want redemption. Even if the Paladin could travel to the Hells, all he/she could do is offer redemption, he/she could not force the soul to take it.
Consider, she was an adult and made her own moral choices. Her soul was not stolen, but freely given.
Fact: In most Fantasy Worlds, there are millions of other souls who still need the Paladin's protection and guidance. In this insane quest to the darkest underworld, is the Paladin abandoning his/her responsibilites to those who are still living and who have not yet chosen a dark path?
Answer: Both of these approaches are perfectly right. Some paladins can choose to focus on the Greater Good. Some can choose to focus on the immediate good. Both are perfectly fine examples of LG.
You do realize that if her soul was actually stolen (not freely given) that my answer would be totally different?
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Part of the problem with this kind of thread is this:
no offense to the OP, but it's a non-phrased philosophical question. There's no assumptions defined covering the nature of god(s), the value of truth, the nature of damnation and redemption.
THere's nada. I don't think it's meant to be a philosophical question, more like a random brainstorming/idea bouncing exercise.
So. It's a potential trap. It's a solemn cry of "baddest man hit my hand!" followed by, "oooh! oooh! are you gonna take that shit from him? why don't you fetch his slippers too?"
If you want to share your own personal values, feelings, what-have-you, well it's a good brainstorming tool to bounce ideas off of eachother.
BUT.....if you're looking for any actual concrete conclusions, expect to eventually end up thoroughly frustrated. Expect to eventually take personal exception to somebody or another's genius observation like "Yeah...I see lawful stupid is in teh hizzle fo rizzle," or whatever else sinks your boat.
The possibility of redemption hasn't been covered in any assumptions, so Prof. Cirno's idea is no more or no less valid than my idea that redemption is impossible once you pass through the gate to hell.
(just an example; I'm not asserting that per se).
There's no way to actually and concretely argue any of this, so that's why I say this is a potential trap.
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If you want to share your own personal values, feelings, what-have-you, well it's a good brainstorming tool to bounce ideas off of eachother.
BUT.....if you're looking for any actual concrete conclusions, expect to eventually end up thoroughly frustrated. Expect to eventually take personal exception to somebody or another's genius observation like "Yeah...I see lawful stupid is in teh hizzle fo rizzle," or whatever else sinks your boat.
Oh no, it's definitely on the side of "how do you see paladins/how do you think paladins should be played" more than about any definite, "right" answers.
Learned a long time ago to not look for any concrete conclusions in alignment/paladin threads. :D
Paladins ain't outsiders. That's one of the reasons gods HAVE paladins - because while the outsider would nod and shrug and go "Welp, that's that," the paladin is fueled by his mortality and all that comes with it and is willing to smash the wheels of fate and say "No. This is wrong. This isn't how it ends." Paladins just as much - if not more - then any other class need to be willing to be active and not simply stand aside and watch as bad things happen.
When the innocent girl is seduced and led into evil, you don't wash your hands and think that's that. You go down and you redeem the hell out of her, even if - no, especially if all, of the hells stand against you.
Part of the Paladin code is to respect authority. The ultimate reward/punishment of good/evil after death by the gods would be the ultimate authority no?
Remember that Paladins aren't the ultimate good. Neutral good is good at all costs. Lawful good is good within the rules. The ultimate rules say that only the good get to go to heaven, everyone else gets infinite punishment for finite sin.
Paladins ain't outsiders. That's one of the reasons gods HAVE paladins - because while the outsider would nod and shrug and go "Welp, that's that," the paladin is fueled by his mortality and all that comes with it and is willing to smash the wheels of fate and say "No. This is wrong. This isn't how it ends." Paladins just as much - if not more - then any other class need to be willing to be active and not simply stand aside and watch as bad things happen.
When the innocent girl is seduced and led into evil, you don't wash your hands and think that's that. You go down and you redeem the hell out of her, even if - no, especially if all, of the hells stand against you.
Part of the Paladin code is to respect authority. The ultimate reward/punishment of good/evil after death by the gods would be the ultimate authority no?
Remember that Paladins aren't the ultimate good. Neutral good is good at all costs. Lawful good is good within the rules. The ultimate rules say that only the good get to go to heaven, everyone else gets infinite punishment for finite sin.
I don't think any of the good alignments are the "ultimate good" ;)
Redeeming a good soul even after death isn't defiance of authority. And paladins are good before they are lawful - their code says nothing about committing non-lawful acts. Its important to note that some laws transcend others - and for almost all religions, "There is always a chance of redemption" is the highest amongst laws.
Lastly, quite frankly, if you get your paladin pumped up, an you and your party delve down into the hells and find the woman's soul to redeem her and reunite her with her family, and your DM just smirks and says shes not repentant, he's a bad DM. The best DMing is finding your players making awesome ideas and rolling with it. God knows if my players came up with such a crazy and awesome idea like that, I wouldn't snub them for it.
Paladins ain't outsiders. That's one of the reasons gods HAVE paladins - because while the outsider would nod and shrug and go "Welp, that's that," the paladin is fueled by his mortality and all that comes with it and is willing to smash the wheels of fate and say "No. This is wrong. This isn't how it ends." Paladins just as much - if not more - then any other class need to be willing to be active and not simply stand aside and watch as bad things happen.
When the innocent girl is seduced and led into evil, you don't wash your hands and think that's that. You go down and you redeem the hell out of her, even if - no, especially if all, of the hells stand against you.
Part of the Paladin code is to respect authority. The ultimate reward/punishment of good/evil after death by the gods would be the ultimate authority no?
Remember that Paladins aren't the ultimate good. Neutral good is good at all costs. Lawful good is good within the rules. The ultimate rules say that only the good get to go to heaven, everyone else gets infinite punishment for finite sin.
I don't think any of the good alignments are the "ultimate good" ;)
Redeeming a good soul even after death isn't defiance of authority. And paladins are good before they are lawful - their code says nothing about committing non-lawful acts. Its important to note that some laws transcend others - and for almost all religions, "There is always a chance of redemption" is the highest amongst laws.
Lastly, quite frankly, if you get your paladin pumped up, an you and your party delve down into the hells and find the woman's soul to redeem her and reunite her with her family, and your DM just smirks and says shes not repentant, he's a bad DM. The best DMing is finding your players making awesome ideas and rolling with it. God knows if my players came up with such a crazy and awesome idea like that, I wouldn't snub them for it.
This kind of thing can be very cool. My party actually had a small contingent who marched into Hell to bring back the soul of the NPC Demonologist who sold his soul to Dispater in exchange for a Pit Fiend's Wish to bring back the party Cleric, with whom he had fallen in love. They wound up being successful in their negotiations with Dispater, but the hooks that Dispater and Baalzebul got into various PCs (not to mention the Monk Lawyer PC gaining the Hand of Geryon from Geryon's Monolith in Stygia) caused far-reaching intrigue. I truly feel for the Paladin in that party.
Lastly, quite frankly, if you get your paladin pumped up, an you and your party delve down into the hells and find the woman's soul to redeem her and reunite her with her family, and your DM just smirks and says shes not repentant, he's a bad DM. The best DMing is finding your players making awesome ideas and rolling with it. God knows if my players came up with such a crazy and awesome idea like that, I wouldn't snub them for it.
Whatever is the best DM'ing is not an absolute, I might roll with it, that doesn't mean I'd turn it into a happy ending. Maybe she gets 'rescued' to betray the paladin a few moments later and be forced to personally see to it she is returned to the pit which the paladin was seeking to rescue her from.
A paladin is under no obligation to go rescue a person that willingly and knowingly chose evil, if encountered in any other situation the paladin might very well choose to run her through himself and condemn her to hell.
Part of the Paladin code is to respect authority. The ultimate reward/punishment of good/evil after death by the gods would be the ultimate authority no?
That depends a lot on the cosmology. As far as I remember in the Great Wheel people go to the plane that fits their alignment best. The gods themselves have absolutely no interest in losing souls to the planes of evil. In the Fiendish Codex II there's a legend how Asmodeus tricked the gods of law into allowing the establishment of the Nine Hells so he stops punishing souls in their paradises. Only that the gods didn't read the fine print that allowed him to actively turn people to evil to further his own power. Souls are valuable. And the battle doesn't have to stop with death, especially not for the champions of the gods that were tricked into this horse-trade.
Remember that Paladins aren't the ultimate good. Neutral good is good at all costs. Lawful good is good within the rules. The ultimate rules say that only the good get to go to heaven, everyone else gets infinite punishment for finite sin.
While paladins belong to those annoying, inflexible good law-doers they are still champions of good. They don't lie or cheat to trick devils and demons but smashing them with a hammer and taking their stuff/souls is still permissible. You don't let a murderer keep a cash of weapons even if they're all legally bought.
Good trumps law in all regards with the paladin.
A paladin will work to subvert and overthrow law where it is in the way of good. (Example: A paladin worth his salt would set his life on the line for the cliche starving street urchin that stole a loaf of bread and was about to lose both her hands in a land where thieves get their hands cut off, and if feasible, try to subvert that law)
As for the merciful lie; Personally, I would tell him the truth, even castigate him for letting it happen if she willingly turned to evil under his watch. But that is because IRL I work with the CPS and know full well that in 4 out of 5 cases, a child setting down a dark path is due to something happening in the home. A parent is responsible for guiding a child, and teaching it right from wrong.
As for the merciful lie; Personally, I would tell him the truth, even castigate him for letting it happen if she willingly turned to evil under his watch. But that is because IRL I work with the CPS and know full well that in 4 out of 5 cases, a child setting down a dark path is due to something happening in the home. A parent is responsible for guiding a child, and teaching it right from wrong.
<insert long rant about people being product of their entire environment, not simply family>
1) the guy is philanthropist, and his daughter is known as being kind and devout
2) the daughter has been kidnapped and brainwashed, implying it is not of her free will
3) the daughter has been seduced, too, implying that she is not a young kid
This points to the fact that the daughter didn't "willingly turn evil under his watch", quite the contrary.
Would you still tell him that it's his fault she went dark? What if it gives him a heart attack? (death bed, remember)
Lying is one thing, accusing is another.
In my game, and with the aforementioned points, any good-aligned character doing what you suggest might(*) face alignment problems, and legal issues.
(*) I'd roll a dice to determine if the accusation caused a heart condition. If the guy died, it means the character voluntarily caused his premature death, an evil act.
I do not mind a paladin straying a bit from the path of law for what is perceived a good cause as long as he does not do so lightly, telling a lie that might ease suffering is acceptable though telling truth is an option as well.
Unless the paladin would have sworn an oath and offered a reasonable chance to redeem her soul I can not fault a paladin for leaving it at that.
If I was playing the paladin, I would tailor my response.
I would say that my group had destroyed the cult, root and branch. That no other innocents would fall pray to it. However, my group had found indications that the daughter had been sacrificed to a Demon Lord and her soul may have been destroyed or may be in Hell.
I would stress that thru their actions and the sacrifice of their daughter, no others would fall pray to that cult.
My paladin would not be lying, as they do not have proof that the daughter was a willing sacrifice, nor for that matter that she had been sacrificed rather than just killed. I would be preparing them for the fact that their daughter may not rejoin them in the afterlife, but indicate the good that had been done in their daughter's name.
To me, it would be cruel to bring forth the allegations of the daughter's participation. For those that say you have to speak all of the truth all of the time, does that not lean much closer to lawful neutral, as there is no compassion in that approach.
I haven't addressed the possibility of going to hell to retrieve the soul, as I do not know the abilities of the paladin or their group, nor their other commitments.
My Paladin would say, "Those responsible for your daughter's fate have been dealt with, they will hurt no more innocents. Let us pray for the salvation of her soul." Then he would make preparations to gather comrades and go into the Abyss to get her soul back - he will make every effort to redeem her soul. That would be an awesome high-level adventure campaign.
As for the merciful lie; Personally, I would tell him the truth, even castigate him for letting it happen if she willingly turned to evil under his watch. But that is because IRL I work with the CPS and know full well that in 4 out of 5 cases, a child setting down a dark path is due to something happening in the home. A parent is responsible for guiding a child, and teaching it right from wrong.<insert long rant about people being product of their entire environment, not simply family>
1) the guy is philanthropist, and his daughter is known as being kind and devout
2) the daughter has been kidnapped and brainwashed, implying it is not of her free will
3) the daughter has been seduced, too, implying that she is not a young kidThis points to the fact that the daughter didn't "willingly turn evil under his watch", quite the contrary.
Would you still tell him that it's his fault she went dark? What if it gives him a heart attack? (death bed, remember)Lying is one thing, accusing is another.
In my game, and with the aforementioned points, any good-aligned character doing what you suggest might(*) face alignment problems, and legal issues.
(*) I'd roll a dice to determine if the accusation caused a heart condition. If the guy died, it means the character voluntarily caused his premature death, an evil act.
As I read the original dilemma, the daughter went and turned on her own accord, and free will, sacrificing her own soul to the demon without any indication of duress. If she was brainwashed, commanded or otherwise compelled into doing evil, then this is a different scenario altogether.
And yes, I know full well that the environment plays a huge role on how someone turns out, but until they are adults, kids are still the responsibility of a parent, and to a lesser extent, the other adults in positions to influence the child. Parents who say otherwise are cop-outs who doesn't want to admit their own failure/neglect/inattentiveness/etc or that they didn't WANT to see the problem, hoping that it would go away. Too many times have I seen this happen. But, this is digression, and not something I wish to discuss on a gaming forum.
Also, the old man being a philanthropist doesn't exclude him from being a bad parent. He does well for the community, and might be LG, but even people with the best of intentions can be inattentive.
Anyways, D&D != real life. Ethics and morals is something even the most sagacious of minds can debate to no end, while D&D has simplified it to 9 easy boxes. Do what feels right to you, argue your reason for it if called out, and ask your DM if he thinks it is LG/Paladin-like as well.
I'll let the party rogue impersonate me to tell her everything's all right!
You probably forget your mortal life over there, anyway.
As I read the original dilemma, the daughter went and turned on her own accord, and free will, sacrificing her own soul to the demon without any indication of duress. If she was brainwashed, commanded or otherwise compelled into doing evil, then this is a different scenario altogether.And yes, I know full well that the environment plays a huge role on how someone turns out, but until they are adults, kids are still the responsibility of a parent, and to a lesser extent, the other adults in positions to influence the child. Parents who say otherwise are cop-outs who doesn't want to admit their own...
For someone that does not want to discuss such matters you are quite vocal about your opinion on the matter. I strongly disagree with such a black / white approach you take on the matter.
Mounting an expedition into the abyss to save a damned soul seems a bit of overacting on the paladin part, as it looks she was pretty much guilty of willingly worshipping demons. I think the paladin might regret her fate, but seeing as it is unlikely to save her even if she was innocent, I think mounting an expedition into the abyss without further motivation is quite silly.
A lot of posts have been advocating charging into Hell, or whatever other evilly-aligned plane this woman's daughter would have gone to. In my very honest opinion, I feel compelled to chime in that I think this is not an endeavour any Paladin below [at minimum] 10th level should be undertaking.
It is being a good DM to roll with what your players do, it is being a bad DM (in my opinion) to play the evil planes as anything other than terrifyingly evil. A cleric can only begin to cast Plane Shift beginning at 9th level, and a Wizard at 13th. Without a Plane Shift, I'm really not sure how this party is getting to Hell; they could seek out a portal, but that is beginning to seem terribly out of the way.
("Okay team, this one member of this cult [who willingly joined just like all the others]? We're going to spend the next four months searching every ancient text we can find for references to disturbances in the laws of nature, hoping to find a portal down to Hell.")
And the problems really don't end with this trip being unviable until you can Plane Shift yourselves there. Hell is not going to be a cakewalk. It is going to be THE most dangerous place you could possibly be, bar none (well, possibly Carceri if this were Planescape, seeing as ideally you want to get back OUT after).
The girl joined the cult just like every other member. The paladin and their party skewered the whole rest of the cult without batting an eye, but now the paladin feels ... what, remorse? Just because they have to face the mother of an evil person? If the Cult Leader's mother came to tell the Paladin that "Jimmy was a good boy, honest, he just had the wrong friends" would the Paladin have let him continue the cult? Would the Paladin have given him a stern talking-to instead of punishing him for his evil ways?
Or perhaps the Paladin is planning to charge down into hell and redeem the entire cult.
I'm sorry, but I just can't see this as anything other than a waste of time =/. Sure, it may be 'good' to redeem souls, but getting fixated on a single soul is just ... it's so emotional. The Paladin is practically being manipulated/controlled by the sadness of this one woman to abandon her post, find a way to get to Hell, search out this one irrelevant girl who willingly turned to evil (and believed in this evil enough to die for it), and then ... redeem her?
Aren't there living people the Paladin could be redeeming instead? At minimum, this girl had better have a body you can Speak With Dead before you go, to determine if she's even open to the possibility of redemption.
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To the original question, however, I'd say that the paladin should not lie. The paladin could refuse to speak on the topic, as it may be in poor taste to cause the woman so much stress on her deathbed. That last caveat could be remedied by hitting this woman with a Calm Emotions spell, though.
Certainly not all Paladins are alike, but it's impossible for this thread to be an adequate "what should this one Paladin do" unless we have all been playing this same Paladin (in order to be familiar with them enough to make an assessment), or at minimum are provided a detailed account of this particular paladin's history, feelings, motives, hopes and dreams, relationships, etc etc etc.
All in all, I sincerely doubt the purpose of this thread is "what should MY paladin do." However, as far as that goes, we know that this Paladin worships Sarenrae. Sarenrae endorses redemption whenever possible, and SMITING THE [EVERYTHING] out of anything that won't be (capitals intended to convey zeal).
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For Paladins I always find myself asking, WWBFD?
As to storming the gates of hell... Well does the Paladin mount up for every innocent tricked into hell? (and yes, I understand our damsel is not innocent in this example) I think in this case, Benton would do everything he could to save her in this world, then accept her fate in the next. As others say, Lawful good is not Lawful stupid, and storming the gates of hell for the soul of one who willingly joined the cult would be lawful stupid.
Of course telling the guy on his death bed that they couldn't save her, or taking him up on his (assumed) offer to raise dead the girl both would be options. Like others said, being honest is *hard*
Indeed, now that I think about it, casting raise dead (assuming she'd be willing/able to come back) and then redeaming her would have merit.
Edit: from an adventure/storytelling POV.
There's one point that I don't find very clear on this story :
Does the mother know from the very beginning that her daughter has been sacrified ??
When a demon-worshipping cult sacrifies a victim, they offer the victim's soul to their demon : this soul goes straight to tha Abyss.
If the mother knows her daughter has been sacrified, she should know (or the paladin should tell her) that she has absolutely no hope to see her daughter in the afterlife.