Touch Injection save?

[Diachronos]

Apologies if this has already been answered somewhere, but I searched and couldn't find anything mentioning it.

I'm looking into making an alchemist that focuses on using the touch injection spell with the Tainted Infusions of detonate in combat. However, there's something that isn't quite clear in the spell's wording...

Touch Injection says wrote:

"If you hit, the substance takes effect immediately, despite any onset period, and that opponent receives the normal saving throw (if any) against the substance."

...Which is seemingly contradicted by the very next sentence:

Touch Injection also says wrote:

"In the case of a personal infused extract, the opponent receives both a Fortitude save and spell resistance."

I'm assuming that "personal" here means a range of "Personal". Does this mean that an infusion of detonate would allow the injected person a Fortitude save to negate it, even though the spell normally doesn't allow a save for the person who's exploding? Or does it mean that the target only gets a save and spell resistance if the extract being injected would normally allow for them?

[Claxon]

I believe this was added to protect exactly against this kind of thing, but more specifically against the skinsend spell.

Which would normally be a personal only spell, but then started seeing use via the injection spear.

It was realized it was a big gaping whole in the rules to allow these sorts of spells to happen to enemy without a save.

I'm not sure if this spell was written before or after the injection spear, but it appears that this item is better balanced.

And this is a case of specific overrides general, in general you get whatever save is allowed for the thing being injected by touch injection, but if this is a personal spell (which don't have saves because they normally only affect the caster) then the target receives a save anyways. Because otherwise there are incredibly crippling personal spells to use on an enemy, and if you don't allow a save it becomes an autowin.

[Diego Rossi]

There are several spells that would become extremely powerful without that caveat.
Polypurpose Panacea is a 1st level spell with a range of personal that normally put the caser to sleep for an hour. Use it with infuse and Touch Injection and you get a combo that will allow a coup de grace against any creature that can sleep.
At least now they get a save.

[Artofregicide]

Syringe spear is so ridiculously nasty even if you're allowed a save (which I'd rule even if it was a houserule). There's so many nasty things you can inject.

[Claxon]

Yeah, I would suggest adapting that part from Touch Injection for the syringe spear (which I incorrectly called an injection spear previously) to add a save to any personal spells that don't already have it.

But you're correct that even if you allow a save, some of the stuff can be incredibly bad if they fail that save.