Sphere-specific drawbacks must be chosen when a practitioner first gains the associated sphere, and grant the practitioner an extra combat talent in the prerequisite sphere. Drawbacks may be removed in place of gaining a new talent through your class progression or by taking the Extra Combat Talent feat.
Wiki Note: If a Base Sphere grants an additional talent (such as via a package selection or drawback) the additional talents do not count as talents spent for abilities that count the number of talents spent in a sphere. (This most often applies to gaining skill points or improving unarmed damage.)
Utility Starts
The [utility start] tag is described in Spheres of Guile. It is only possible to take advantage of a combat sphere as a [utility] talent if your game includes a way to gain combat talents restricted to those with the [utility] tag, such as using one of the variants in Chapter 1.
Piecemeal Utility Starts: If you have a progression or optional replacement that grants a [utility] combat talent or a [utility] magic talent, you can use it to gain a base sphere if you apply a drawback or combination of drawbacks that removes all of that base sphere’s benefits other than skill ranks and [utility] talents (and actions necessary to use such talents).
Aggressive Rider
You do not gain the defensive rider ability. You gain Wild Rider with this drawback.
Incompatible: Offensive Rider, Selfish Rider.
Beast Empath (requires handle animal package)
You do not gain the tame ability. You gain Animal Empathy with this drawback.
Companionship
You do not get to select a Beastmastery package. You gain either the Animal Companion or Pet talent with this drawback.
Monster Tamer (Requires Handle Animal Package)
You may not use your trainer ability on creatures of the animal type. Choose one creature type other than the animal type. If a (beastmastery) talent specifies a creature of the animal type, it instead applies to your chosen type. You must take Broad Skills with the bonus talent from this drawback, though you may not affect creatures of a type other than your chosen type unless this drawback is bought off.
Offensive Rider (Requires Ride Package)
You do not gain the defensive rider ability. You gain Skirmish Rider with this drawback.
Selfish Rider (requires (ride) package)
You do not gain the defensive rider ability. You gain Meat Shield with this drawback.
Incompatible: Offensive Rider.