1.) Always talk to your DM before playing a paladin: What are paladins in general like in his game? What is different about paladins of this specific god? Would it be okay if I made a paladin who acted this way? In some games, all paladins are primarily soldiers who eradicate evil (a view, I might add, probably closer to the historical models such as the Knights Templar and Hospitaliers); in others they are compassionate and merciful, seeking to redeem evil when possible. Put another way, some paladins emphasize Law and some emphasize Good. Or as Velendo might put it, some have bricks of smiting; others, bricks of protection. My personal preferrence is for somewhere in the middle, but with Good over Law.
In some campaigns, both interpretations are equally valid, depending on the players and gods in question. One interesting concept that I saw recently on the boards was a paladin who, upon seeing a guy attacked in a bar fight, would heal the guy to full, hand him a table leg or other such weapon, and send him back into the fight with a shove and a word of encouragement. Sepalchrave's story hour has another interesting view; it should be required reading for paladin players and philosophy students.
2.) I wish Gary Gygax had used the term "Orderly" instead of "Lawful".
3.) Did your paladin act in a Good manner? Sure.
4.) Did your paladin act in a Lawful manner? Nope.
Suppose a modern police officer came upon a molester in a similar situation. He wouldn't shoot the man first, and certainly not to kill. First he'd pull out his gun and warn the guy to stop. If the molester didn't comply, he'd warn a second time, possibly adding a warning shot. If he still refused, the cop could wrestle him down or maybe beat him with the tonfa and cuff him. Only if the molester tried to attack the officer or the girl would it be okay for the officer to fire, and he would shoot to maim if possible. (Forgive me if the procedure's a little off, but you get the general idea.)
Granted, the psuedo-Medieval police and courts probably are much less fair and efficient compared to modern ones (except maybe in a high-magic setting). However, your paladin should at least warn him first or knock him out. After all, the molester poses no credible threat to you, and little to the girl with the threat of your sword on him. And after all, your paladin's not supposed to be Dirty Harry. After that, what you should do depends on your campaign and your god. It may be okay to execute him then and there, but probably not.
5.) Is this bad enough for a one-way ticket to no-paladinville? No. It could be the first step down a slippery slope, but a slap on the wrist should be enough to make your paladin see his error. I wouldn't even make you get the
Atonement spell. If your paladin has a mentor or some kind of superior, I'd have him gently reprimand you and remind you take greater care in the future. Otherwise, I'd give your paladin a dream where he sees some of the consequences of his actions or a possible future with an evil him if he continues, possibly followed by a short verbal reprimand, and he would temporarily lose his ability to smite until he learned to use it more responsibly.
If your DM ends up taking your paladinhood, he's being unreasonable. You might as well go all the way and become a blackguard. You get an extra 2 smite goods/day, Lay on Hands for yourself and you fiendish servent, and sneak attack +1d6 for your paladin levels.
