"The smite evil effect remains until the target of the smite is dead or the next time the paladin rests and regains her uses of this ability."
There are only two things that will end a smite. Using another smite isn't one of them..Once a Paladin declares a smite he couldn't end it if he wanted to without killing the target or waiting a day.
I would say that if you would have to wait, the rules would state it. Just as you can cast a second spell while another is active, your should be able to smite while another lasted.
But in the end, it is all a GM call.
By the rules it can be on any number of targets you like, so long as you have enough uses to use it.
Your GM may be thinking of a 4E mechanic, or perhaps a Rangers's Quarry or the ranger archetype's Ranger's Focus.
Reading the Smite Evil we find that there is no reasonable cause to limit it to single target at any one time. If Paladin could smite single target at any one time it would be said that activating another Smite also ends the previous. There is no such rule.
I've used smite as a swift action, used smite as a move action and then took my standard to cleave both of my smite targets before.
It's entirely possible. It's not like your God is like "I know there's four balors, but seriously, one at a time. Don't tucker yourself out trying to save everyone too fast. They're only peasants."
"The smite evil effect remains until the target of the smite is dead or the next time the paladin rests and regains her uses of this ability." As previously stated.
If you could not have 2 active then what would stop an evil spell caster from teleporting away as soon as a paladin "smites" on him and preventing him from smiting anyone else until the next day? If you go by the mentality of "one active at the time only and a new casting removes the old" then said spellcaster would use invisibility and wait until the paladin smites another target and negating the smite on himself and resume his assault.
No, it lasts until the bad guy dies, or the paladin regains smites through rest. If the paladin wants to spend several actions lining a group of BBG's up with smites then there is nothing against that.
I've used smite as a swift action, used smite as a move action and then took my standard to cleave both of my smite targets before.
It's entirely possible. It's not like your God is like "I know there's four balors, but seriously, one at a time. Don't tucker yourself out trying to save everyone too fast. They're only peasants."
What if your god has ADHD? "Yes we shall smite that balor... oh! Butterfly! Oh hmm, who were you smiting again?"
Okay -okay, you were right...
I'll cry a bit but eventually I'll get over it..
you got your smites
GRU
Hey again guys! I wrote an e-mail to Jason Bulmahn himself, and he answered:
Enjoy your bottle of whisky.
A paladin can smite two different targets at once, so long as you have two uses of the ability to spend. There is no restriction in the text of the ability.
Jason Bulmahn
Lead Designer
Paizo Publishing
Thanks
Huh. For some reason, I was convinced that you could only have one smite running at a time.
But when you think about it, it doesn't seem so bad to do it multiple times. You'll have to blow one use of it each time (and you can't start them all at once), so that's alright.