User:Pgunn/Thoughts on multi-element builds

General thoughts on multi-element builds
Multiple-element builds are builds that focus on competency in more than one element. Some classes do this more commonly than others, but all classes are capable of this.

Why
People use multiple-element builds because some spells they wish to use require it or because they want to use a particularly awesome weapon - multi-element builds use more of the capabilities of their class or character than single-element builds do, at some cost. For example, an Eniripsa, noting that most of their spells are Int-based, might decide to have int as an element, but notice that Vampiric Word is particularly effective and decide to have chance as an element as well. Cras, Sacriers, and Pandawas very commonly multi-element because of the way their classes are designed, other classes may do it as a more optional choice. Some players also react to hitting the 4:1 or 5:1 softcap of their class by beginning to multi-element

Why not
There are several costs to multi-element builds. The first is that for most classes, it will cost them a number of additional spell points to max the useful spells in all elements they're focusing on. To take a spell from level 1-5 costs 10 spell points, to take it from 1-6 costs 15. Unless the player is willing to spend a lot of time farming diamonds for spell scrolls, any spell they would add to their repertoire consumes points that could be used for other spells, limiting their flexibility (in economcs, this is known as an opportunity cost, in that it costs them the opportunity to do something else with those spell points). Another cost is that the effort to get very good stats in more than one element usually entails sacrificing some absolute power in each element. This happens in a few forms:
 * One will have to choose gear, to whatever extent it's possible, that boosts all stats one cares about, in most cases skipping potentially good gear that one might otherwise choose
 * One cannot as easily overmage all stats one cares about because one has fewer "dump stats" (stats one happily sacrifices when maging at the expense of those one does care about
 * One's choice of Dragoturkey or pet, like gear, cannot benefit two or more stats as well as those for single-element builds
 * It may be harder to equip some gear that has a prerequisite that's geared towards pure builds (this goes both ways though - with many weapons, multi-element builds have a strong advantage in meeting their prerequisites)
 * With any given spell or weapon, you (usually) will only be using one element (this is sometimes not true)

How
Being multi-element usually means accumulating stat points in more than one stat. This can happen in a few ways:
 * Scrolling - By collecting and trading large amounts of certain mats with NPCs, one can acquire scrolls that provide raw stats (up to a maximum of 101 if well-planned, 100 if not)
 * Spending characteristic points - An easy and obvious way to gain stat points is to spend characteristic points to raise them. If the character can afford it, they will usually later reset and scroll their characteristics to 101 before spending any points at all. The effectiveness of this is often limited by the softcaps for the relevant stat - if a character is scrolled in one of their stats to 101, and the softcaps at that level are 5:1 (a particularly difficult multi-element build), it may be unwise to spend any characteristic points
 * Gear - Gear can provide a lot of stats - a character might effectively multi without scrolling or spending characteristic points if they're willing to spend spell points and choose appropriate gear

It is not unusual to begin an intended multi-element character on only one element, picking up the second element only after they've hit a moderately high level and high-level gear opens up. Also, multi-element characters are generally wise to pay attention to +damage and %damage equipment and effects - +1% damage provides the same damage output boost as a stat point in all characteristics. +damage equipment and effects remain, like with single-element builds, more important than stat or %damage effects for weak/lowcost attacks. (Think along these lines with +heals and plus/percent trap damage effects for Eniripsas and Srams, if applicable).

Importance of gear
Gear is essential in Dofus, generally providing half or more of the stats a powerful character has. A L140 character of any class, in a reasonable outfit, can solo the Gobball dungeon without any difficulty. That same character might struggle a bit doing it without any equipment at all on. Characters in Dofus will generally obsess over gear, spending a lot of time and kamas to buy or have crafted top-tier gear for their level, and having it maged for whatever stats they particularly care about (be that crits, raw stats, etc). Multi-element characters, because of the harder problem they're trying to solve, will spend a lot more time than other characters thinking about their gear.

Some element combinations are impractical (or difficult) because no sets or reasonable equipment sets exist at some levels for some pairings. Consider the Set page for a full list, but consider the following: