Can one make and then have anyone drink a potion whose range if "personal" such as "shield"?
Yes. I've seen potions of divine favor in an adventure path.
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From "Creating Magic Items: Potions":
The imbiber of the potion is both the caster and the target. Spells with a range of personal cannot be made into potions.
For game balance reasons they make some spells range personal only. This allows the spell to be lower level then it probably should be. For this reason, the rules do not allow personal range potions.
However, that is something that is commonly house ruled away in many games. But by RAW the answer is no. (We allow them in our house games.)
Paizo missed a few personal range potions in early adventures and AP's so that's probably where the Divine Favor potions came from.
It was in
This mistake gets made all the time (for whatever reason).
Doesn't divine favor say it can be used as a touch spell on a willing target?
Doesn't divine favor say it can be used as a touch spell on a willing target?
Nope. Range personal, target you.
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from a game standpoint, it makes sense that you can't make make personal spells into potions, as the process involves mixing up a bunch of magical reagents, and then 'casting' the spell into the concoction. As a personal spell can't be cast into anything (as it always targets you) it makes it difficult. Doesn't explain how they make personal scrolls though (which are allowed) so, there is that.
It is important to note that while POTIONS of personal spells can't be made, there is an option. Alchemists/Investigators with the infusion discovery can make infusions of personal spells and hand them out. They only last until the creator prepares extracts the next time though (24 hrs max)
If you are after a first level spell, invest in an ioun stone.
Higher up front cost, but reusable as long as you have a friendly caster to replace your spell.
Yeah we had a GM that house ruled away the personal potions. One of the characters promptly took 3 levels of wizard and cleric. Then he started brewing personal potions like crazy.
Imagine a barbarian starting any serious combat with mirror image, displacement, divine favor, and a few others. Said barbarian is nearly invincible. So yes they spent a bit extra in brewing potions. However, they didn't have any real need of most of the other stuff for several levels. They were able to actually save huge amounts of money for early purchase of some big ticket items much sooner than most parties would have them.
The personal spells are substantially more powerful to allow squishy characters to survive and compete in high threat environments.
That character required a minimum of 7 levels in order for him to be that "good". (He can't cast Displacement, as that's a 3rd or 4th level spell, but Blur is feasible.) Also, those potions cost a lot of money if they want them to last, otherwise they're good for maybe one encounter. Minimum cost of Blur, Mirror Image, and Divine Favor amounts to 325 gold, and he'll only get Blur for 3 minutes, Mirror Images for 1D4+1 Image, and a +1 Luck bonus to Attack/Damage rolls. Having to spend that much money and time on every fight is practically unrealistic, nor is it practical, since the amount of expected treasure you gain at those levels would equate to that. Out of all of that, the only thing I would consider worth it is Shield, since a +4 Shield Bonus to AC is pretty damn good, lasts 1 minute, and only costs 25 gold to make. He could actually make some that last 2 minutes by doubling the cost, which would be pretty nice for those BBEG fights, or fights that are tediously long for no reason.
Let's not even take into consideration how that impacts your action economy (spending 3-4 rounds drinking potions? The encounters are usually over by that time), and that you won't always be able to utilize those potions in the midst of combat.
A pure Barbarian, or even Bloodrager, can be just as strong, if not stronger, since they won't be lacking BAB and not be nearly as MAD or feat/skill-starved, since you must spend feats on Brew Potion, you need a minimum amount of Wisdom and Charisma to cast those spells into the Potions, and you need some decent Craft (Alchemy) or Spellcraft in order to make them. Those statistics, feats, and skills that you have to invest, could've been better invested elsewhere, and you could be a much more terrifying menace with those investments than the ones that player took.
Might have been blur rather than displacement, I don't really remember. The one making the potions had already intended to be a buff/support caster. He ended up becoming a mystic theurge (eventually).
The ones using the potions were a pure barbarian and a paladin. So they did have all those BAB, SAD, and combat feat goodness. Plus the potions made them almost impossible to substantially harm even by a boss that was 4+ levels higher than the party.
Wasn't used on all the fights (not even very many). Usually, most fights are relatively easy. We had a very good scout and you can quietly drink several potions while just outside the door or around the corner from a boss or other major combat.
It saved us money since we didn't need to burn though several wands of cure light wounds, castings of restoration, removing curses, etc... Let alone the cost of raise dead which was usually pretty common in that group. Many of those fights a melee guy would have consumed a buff potion or two before the fight if he had time (which we did). But the personal potions being consumed were similar cost yet better than the standard ones the melee guys usually carry.
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Keep in mind that the potions CL is limited to the level of the crafter. You can't overcast (i.e. ,make them at a CL higher than your) as you put in the potion exactly what you have memorized. So a potion made by a CL 3 character has a short duration.
A paladin can easily train UMD and use a wand of shield.
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Yeah we had a GM that house ruled away the personal potions. One of the characters promptly took 3 levels of wizard and cleric. Then he started brewing personal potions like crazy.
Imagine a barbarian starting any serious combat with mirror image, displacement, divine favor, and a few others.
I played an Arcane bloodline Bloodrager, I don't have to imagine the shenanigans :-P