Rather than granting boons and bonus spell points, sphere-specific drawbacks grant the target an extra magic talent in their prerequisite sphere. The prerequisites of the selected talent must be fulfilled. A creature does not gain this bonus magic talent until they gain the sphere-specific drawback’s prerequisite sphere. A sphere-specific drawback may be removed by spending a magic talent, in essence ‘paying back’ the talent gained from the drawback.
It is possible to have multiple sphere-specific drawbacks from the same sphere, but some drawbacks are incompatible with each other. These are listed under each drawback as ‘incompatible’. Occasionally a sphere-specific drawback grants a bonus feat in place of a bonus magic talent. Such sphere-specific drawbacks must be bought off with a feat instead of a talent, and may only be bought off in this fashion if the caster meets the bonus feat’s prerequisites.
You cannot gain sphere-specific drawbacks when gaining a sphere through temporary talents (such as those that are only gained for a single casting or that last less than 24 hours), nor use a temporary talent to buy off a sphere-specific drawback you possess.
Caller
You do not gain the summon ability of the Conjuration sphere. You must select the Call Planar Creature advanced talent with the bonus talent gained from this drawback. This drawback may not be selected if the Call Planar Creature advanced talent is not permitted in your campaign.
Incompatible: Any Conjuration drawback that affects the summon ability or companions granted by it.
Constant Link
Maintaining your companion’s presence requires concentration. You may not spend a spell point to continue the duration of summon without concentration nor take any talents that would allow you to maintain the summon without concentration.
Divided Soul
Your Conjuration sphere companions share a single pool of Hit Dice. The Hit Dice of all your companions combined is equal to your caster level (with a minimum of 1 Hit Die per companion). When you gain a caster level, you may choose which companion gains the additional Hit Die, but no single companion can have Hit Dice exceeding 2/3 your caster level. If this calculation would result in companions with less than 1 Hit Die, such a companion instead has 1 Hit Die, but has their hit points reduced by half and takes a -1 penalty on all d20 rolls. Calculate the companion’s Hit Dice prior to applying the effects of any companion template. You must take Extra Companion with the bonus talent gained from this drawback.
Elongated Summoning
Summoning a creature requires 1 minute of concentrated effort, rather than only a standard action.
Figment Companion
Your companions are only semi-real projections. The first time each round a creature is affected by an effect originating from your companions, such as attacks or sphere effects, it may attempt a Will save versus your Conjuration sphere DC to negate the effect and any others originating from your companion before the start of the creature’s next turn. Succeeding on this save grants a +2 bonus on future saves made against that same companion for the next 24 hours. (As usual, this bonus does not stack with itself.)
Life Merger
Your companions are tied directly to your own life force. Whenever one of your Conjuration companions would take damage, you suffer an equal amount of damage. This damage cannot be reduced or redirected.
Limited Range
Source: Spheres Apocrypha: Cohorts & Companions
Your companions must remain at a close proximity with you or lose effectiveness. Your companions must remain within 5 feet + 5 feet per 5 points of magic skill bonus you possess, and cannot move beyond this distance without being dismissed. If your moving would cause your companion to be beyond this range, your companion may take a movement action outside of their turn (which provokes attacks of opportunity as normal) to try to end up back in the area. If successful the companion is not dismissed and is staggered on their next turn.
Material Weakness
Choose cold iron, silver, or wood (or another special material with GM’s explicit approval). When touched by an object primarily composed of the chosen material, your companion must attempt a Will save with a DC equal to 10 + any damage dealt by the object or be dismissed from the plane. The companion may not be summoned again for 1 hour.
Object Bound
Choose an object you possess for each companion you gain (for example: a small oil lamp, a ring, or a sword). Such objects count as magic items of the Conjuration sphere using your caster level for the item’s caster level, though you may still enchant them with other effects normally. If enchanted separately, the other effects on the item may be suppressed using dispel effects separately from the magic property granted by this drawback, using the caster level of those enchantments for determining the MSD of those effects.
You must drop or throw this object as part of summoning the companion. This does not affect the casting time, though additional actions may be required to draw the object.
If this object is broken or destroyed, you cannot summon the corresponding companion. While the companion is present, the object is visible on the companion and may be targeted with the sunder maneuver, dispel effects, and other effects that can target attended magical items. While part of the companion, the object emits a sign that draws attention to itself, usually glowing. If the object is broken, destroyed, or has its magic suppressed, the companion immediately disappears and may not be summoned again until the object is repaired or replaced. Attuning a new object requires a 24 hour ritual. Any damage dealt to the object is also dealt to the companion without being further affected by damage reduction, immunity, resistance, or vulnerability.
You may choose to have a single item for any or all of your companions, but no more than one companion can be summoned at a time using a single item.