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.
Disappearance
You cannot create illusions or tricks, except to make suppressions. You must select the Suppression talent as your bonus talent for this drawback.
Incompatible: Theme Fixation
Glamered Brew
You must select the Instill Glamer talent with the bonus talent granted by this drawback, and you can only use your Illusion sphere abilities through this talent. You must possess the Obscura Mage drawback to select this one.
Incompatible: Personal Illusion, Theme Fixation
Limited Sensation
You may not take additional (sensory) talents from the Illusion sphere. Your illusions lose the sight descriptor granted by the base Illusion sphere. You must take a (sensory) talent as the bonus talent granted by this drawback. If you select Illusionary Touch as the bonus talent granted by this drawback you are not prohibited from taking it a second time.
Obscura Mage
You may not create figments with your tricks and illusions. You must select a (glamer) talent as your bonus talent for this drawback, unless you possess the Disappearance drawback in which case you must select a (sensory) talent.
Personal Illusion
Your illusions are directly connected to your body. You can only apply glamers to yourself, and the range of your figments and tricks that target an area is reduced to 0 feet; you may only target squares that you currently occupy and must spend an immediate action any time your location changes to direct all figments and tricks you are currently maintaining to move with you.
To use tricks that target unwilling creatures or objects you must first make a successful melee touch attack. The duration of tricks targeting creatures or objects immediately ends the round you are no longer maintaining physical contact with the target.
Incompatible: Glamered Brew
Theme Fixation
You may only create figments and glamers within a specific and narrow theme such as dragons, cubes, insects, cards, weapons, hands, etc.
The exact nature of this concept should be worked out with the GM, but as a rule of thumb, this should consist of a consistent singular theme; you might only be able to create figments or glamers of dragons, or be able to create a figment of fire if it originated from the mouth of a dragon glamer. The GM is the final arbiter on whether an image or idea fits into the dedicated theme. You must take a (sensory) talent as the bonus talent granted by this drawback.
Incompatible: Disappearance, Glamered Brew
Tricksters Grudge
Your illusions only work on one specific type of creature. When you select this drawback you must select a creature type. If you select humanoid or outsider you must also select a subtype. All other creature types automatically disbelieve your illusions and any non-shadow effects that would persist even if disbelieved have no effect on them.