Why can't you make spells with a range of personal into a Potion?

[Wevi]

In the SRD page about Potions it says "It must not have a range of personal." I don't understand why this would be a rule. Can anyone tell me why this is a rule before I change it and brake something?

[Belafon]

Because personal range spells are some of the most powerful in the game, particularly for the levels at which you get them.

Personal range means "we don't want this spell to be something anyone can have."

[ShroudedInLight]

Which is why Alchemists with Infusion are so good, because they CAN pass around Personal Range buffs.

[avr]

Most of the personal range offenders are higher than 3rd level but you might still do weird stuff with aura spells, mirror image, channel vigor, some of the lowest level polymorphs and more that I can't think of off the top of my head. It's not that big a deal though due to the existence of the use magic device skill and scrolls and wands, both of which work on personal spells.

[ryric]

Basically, so full BAB classes don't have easy access to true strike and so heavy armor two-handed melee users don't have easy access to shield. I'd opine that's the majority of the restriction right there.

Obviously it's easier to get at these things now than when the rule was written.

[Mudfoot]

So martials can't have nice things.

There is something of a balance issue, but it's nothing that couldn't be fixed by a price increase of some nature. Metamagic, for example. Or as in my house rules, using a different Item Creation feat.

You can already in RAW use Create Wondrous Item to make a potion, provided that you call it an "elixir" or a "draught" or a "wine" or something, not a "potion". The price might be different, but that's just details.

[Klorox]

ShroudedInLight wrote:

Which is why Alchemists with Infusion are so good, because they CAN pass around Personal Range buffs.

Yeah, I remember how the DM was outraged that my alchemist Diocles did do so as explicitly allowed by the rules... he even forbade me to use Infusions for things other than cures and non personal range boosts (bear's endurance and the like)... I was rather PO'ed by that and so did not resent it when the campaign ended soon after.

[MrCharisma]

If you think about it from a game design perspective, the only difference between a "touch" ranged spell and a "personal" ranged spell is that one can be used on anyone but the other is limited. It makes sense then that they wouldn't include an option that easily bypasses this limit.

Essentially the game requires you to invest in a spell-casting class, a wand/staff (and the UMD skill) or some other magic item - likely an expensive one at that - in order to use those buffs.

Alchemists can pass out extracts - true - but their spell progression is slower, and they have their own set of limitations. Alchemists cannot -
for example - make extracts of any "spell" with a focus component. I wonder how many "personal" range extracts they have that can actually be made into extracts? (I don't know the answer to this, just pointing out some design decisions)

Alchemists were can use wands for spells that are on their list, so they were intentionally given "formulae" that they can't use for extracts.

[avr]

MrCharisma wrote:

I wonder how many "personal" range extracts they have that can actually be made into extracts? (I don't know the answer to this, just pointing out some design decisions)

Plenty. Just to point out a few notable ones - shield, see invisibility, channel vigor and most of the polymorph spells.

I'm not sure it's a balance decision either, more a flavour one.

[Cavall]

Making a spell personal is one way to balance a spell equal to its level equivalents.

Because potions are usable by anyone without a roll they may have thought it was too much of a bypass of this balancing.

Alchemists were at one point debated on as to maybe closing that option, but nothing came of it and safe to say it's been long enough it never will.

[DungeonmasterCal]

You can in my games. Come play with us.

[Fox Soul]

Thinking of it in a RP perspective, a wizard trying to create a potion focuses or targets the spell on the potion. This would be difficult if the spell only targets yourself.
This is why the alchemist makes sense, since he can liquefy his own magical essence, and doesn't have to worry about if the spell can target other things or not as he is not focusing the casting of a spell on anything.

[Jeven]

Fox Soul wrote:

Thinking of it in a RP perspective, a wizard trying to create a potion focuses or targets the spell on the potion. This would be difficult if the spell only targets yourself.

It is possible -- wizard pee in a bottle. He cast the spell on his bladder and then urinated.

Perhaps that's why "self" spell potions aren't a thing!