---
title: "EliteSpawner Synergies, Affinities and Pity: Config Guide"
description: "Configure EliteSpawner synergies, affinities and pity: YAML examples, included combos, balance tips, placeholders and troubleshooting for 0.2.0."
url: "https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/elitespawner-synergies-affinities-pity-config-guide"
updated: "2026-11-06T12:21:52.426344+00:00"
source: "ZCraft Studios"
---
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# EliteSpawner Synergies, Affinities and Pity: Config Guide
ZCraft StudiosNov 6, 2026
Configure EliteSpawner synergies, affinities and pity: YAML examples, included combos, balance tips, placeholders and troubleshooting for 0.2.0.
## In this guide
- [Synergies](#synergies)
- [Affinities](#affinities)
- [Pity](#pity)
- [Money and command loot](#money-and-command-loot)
- [Balance the new systems](#balance-the-new-systems)
- [Design ideas](#design-ideas)
- [Troubleshooting](#troubleshooting)
- [Frequently asked questions](#frequently-asked-questions)
- [Related reading](#related-reading)
## EliteSpawner Synergies, Affinities and Pity: Config Guide
**Quick answer:** EliteSpawner 0.2.0 has three systems that reward smart setups. **Synergies** (in `synergies.yml`) give a loot and XP bonus when the right spawner types sit close together. **Affinities** (on a spawner type) boost output at night, in the rain, in certain biomes or in the nether. **Pity** (on a loot entry) guarantees a drop after a number of misses. Edit the file, then run `/esp reload`.
_Disclosure: the buy link in this post is a referral link, so ZCraft Studios may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Examples follow the developer's documentation, last checked November 2026\. The plugin is in early access, so file formats may change._
**[Get EliteSpawner on BuiltByBit](https://builtbybit.com/resources/elitespawner-ui-based-virtual-spawners.125131/?ref=662024)**
## Synergies
A column of one mob is the easiest farm to build. Synergies reward a proper **spawner room**: put the right types close together and the ones involved make more loot and experience.
```
undead_crypt:
display: "Undead Crypt"
radius: 8
require:
zombie: 1
skeleton: 1
bonus: 10
```
A zombie spawner and a skeleton spawner within 8 blocks of each other both get 10% more loot and experience. The menu shows the active synergy, and holograms can show it with the `synergy_name` placeholder.
### Synergy fields
| Field | Meaning |
| ---------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| display | The name shown to players |
| radius | How close the spawners must be, in blocks |
| require | The spawner types and how many of each |
| applies-to | Which types receive the bonus, if not all |
| bonus | Extra loot and experience, in percent |
### Rules to know
- Only spawners with the **same owner** count towards each other, so nobody can borrow a neighbour's room.
- A spawner keeps the **single best** synergy it qualifies for. Synergies do not stack.
- Spawners recheck neighbours every `synergies.rescan-every-cycles` cycles (15 by default), so a new layout takes a moment to apply.
- Set `synergies.enabled: false` in `config.yml` to turn them off.
### Included combos
| Synergy | Needs | Bonus |
| -------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- | ----- |
| Undead Crypt | Zombie, skeleton | 10% |
| Graveyard | Zombie, skeleton, spider, creeper | 20% |
| Nether Forge | Blaze, magma cube, wither skeleton | 20% |
| Barnyard | Cow, pig, sheep, chicken | 15% |
| Village Guard | Iron golem, villager (only the golem gets the bonus) | 25% |
| Ocean Monument | Two guardians, a squid | 15% |
Change, remove or add your own.
## Affinities
Affinities make a type better under the right conditions. Every condition you set must match, and conditions you leave out are ignored.
```
zombie:
entity: ZOMBIE
affinities:
night_shift:
time: night
bonus: 15
```
| Condition | Values |
| ------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| time | day or night |
| weather | clear, rain or thunder (rain also matches thunderstorms) |
| biomes | A list of biomes, such as \[plains, deep\_dark\] |
| environments | normal, nether or the\_end |
| bonus | Extra loot and experience in percent. Use loot-bonus and exp-bonus to set them separately |
The default `mob_spawners.yml` includes zombies at night, drowned in the rain and blazes in the nether. Show the active affinity with the `` and `` placeholders.
## Pity
`pity` on a loot entry guarantees the drop after that many misses in a row:
```
loot:
1:
item: DIAMOND
amount: 1
chance: 1
pity: 150
```
Pity is tracked **per spawner**. With `pity: 150`, a spawner that misses 149 times in a row is guaranteed the drop on the 150th cycle. A hit resets the count, and the count also resets when the server restarts.
## Money and command loot
Loot entries can pay the owner or run console commands, with or without an item:
```
loot:
2:
money: "1-3"
chance: 50
3:
commands: ["crates key give %owner% vote 1"]
chance: 0.1
```
An entry needs at least one of `item`, `money` or `commands`, and can have all three. See [How to Sell Spawners](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/sell-spawners-shop-crates-setup) and [Custom Spawner Types](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/elitespawner-custom-spawner-types-loot-tables).
## Balance the new systems
| System | What to watch |
| ------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Synergies | Bonuses raise income for the whole room. Keep them modest and consider the cost of building the room |
| Affinities | Night, rain and nether bonuses change income over time. Average them when you calculate payback |
| Pity | Guarantees reduce variance, so rare drops become predictable |
| Money loot | Adds currency directly, so count it in your inflation tracking |
| Command loot | Rewards such as crate keys leave your economy's control, so cap their chance |
Re-run the formulas in [Spawner Calculator](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/spawner-calculator-income-payback-math) with the bonuses included, and follow [Spawner Economy Balance](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/spawner-economy-balance-prices-loot-inflation).
## Design ideas
| Idea | How |
| ------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| A spawner room tutorial | Teach a first synergy such as zombie plus skeleton |
| Nether-themed progression | Blaze affinity in the nether and the Nether Forge synergy |
| Night events | Boost the night affinity during events |
| Fair rare drops | Use pity on top-tier loot |
| Crate economy link | Give crate keys through command loot at a very low chance |
## Troubleshooting
| Problem | Check |
| ----------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Synergy not active | Spawners must have the same owner, be within radius, and the types must match require |
| Bonus not showing in the menu | Add the synergy and affinity lines to menus/main-menu.yml, since menu files are not changed on update |
| Affinity not applying | Every condition you set must match, including time, weather and biome |
| Pity never triggers | The count resets on restart and on a hit |
| Command loot does nothing | Check the command and the plugin that owns it |
| YAML errors on reload | See [Plugin Config Review](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/minecraft-plugin-config-review-checklist) |
## Frequently asked questions
**What are synergies in EliteSpawner?** Bonuses for building different spawner types close together.
**Do synergies stack?** No. A spawner keeps the best one it qualifies for.
**What are affinities?** Conditions under which a spawner type produces more, such as night, rain, biomes or the nether.
**What does pity do?** Guarantees a loot entry after a number of misses in a row.
**Can loot run commands?** Yes, with `commands`, with or without an item.
**Which version added these?** 0.2.0\. See [What's New in 0.2.0](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/elitespawner-0-2-0-whats-new-update-guide).
## Related reading
- [EliteSpawner Setup Guide](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/elitespawner-plugin-setup-guide)
- [Best Spawner Types](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/best-spawner-types-skeleton-iron-golem-blaze)
- [DonutSMP-Style Spawners](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/donutsmp-style-spawners-plugin-setup)
## Continue reading
- [EliteSpawner: Virtual Spawners Plugin Setup, Config, Commands](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/elitespawner-plugin-setup-guide)
- [EliteSpawner 0.2.0: What's New and How to Update](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/elitespawner-0-2-0-whats-new-update-guide)
- [EliteSpawner for Skyblock: SuperiorSkyblock2 Setup Tips](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/elitespawner-skyblock-superiorskyblock2-setup-tips)
- [EliteSpawner vs AxSpawners: Virtual Spawner Plugins Compared](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/elitespawner-vs-axspawners-virtual-spawner-plugins)
[ Previous guide EliteSpawner 0.2.0: What's New and How to Update](https://www.zcraftstudios.com/blog/elitespawner-0-2-0-whats-new-update-guide)