Help with dual spec/branching out

Hello I am a new player and just decided to browse the forums for the first time today. Since I started my bear ive been pumping str and dex from time to time. But after coming to the forums I am seeing post of dual specs and also even "bowbears" which use archer weapons and gears. My questions are what the purpose of doing int for bear and wearing caster gear? or using bow weapon with dex? I may sound like a complete noob to sum but I am very confused seeing as tho I assume all our skills were for melee?? And another question would a caster be able to use mage skills with a sword/shield?? or a archer use archer skills with wand??

The whole ist of the game is that you pci your appearance and skill set a first, but depending upon what stat you specialize in you can use any weapon, do anything! Let me edit in proper response, this will take a few Long steps since writing on itouch...

Bears: mostly Personal skill set, the most stunning powers of all classes.
Str: a tank that keeps the mobs movig and stunned and away from fragile people.
-considered "pure" as is normal stat for bears. Have mos hp and least mana.
-melee skills work great.
Dex: a semi-tank with ranged abilities, hard to take down killers.
-hybrid stat, used to concentrate on higher hit% and crit and of course ranged fighting.
-melee stunning powers required to stop mobs and move away to keep shooting. Beckon then stomp gets them all close, then all away, and all stunned.
Int: uses powerful and usefull magical weapons and takes advantage of high hp to survive.
-hybrid stat, gives some nice m/s and staffs in general are known for nice abilities like Aoe damage and other procs. Though least wanted stat for bears.
-skills used to yet again keep mobs at bay, using beckon and stomp to force all mobs into a corner let's you really use those Aoe weapons.

Birds have the most single-target killing skills of all, a must for every good boss killing team.
Str: called Warbirds/Rangers, these sexy beasts (lol fav char) use high armor to go in and properly deal massive damage without falling prey to strong foes.
-hybrid stat, gives more of a use for some of the screams, and also let's you keep attacking foes that are temporally out of range with arrow skills.
-rooting enemies that are close together and running in with a blast shot combo makes you lved by the team. Especially is the team has a Mage that uses lightning right after your roots.
Dex: the starting stat of a bird, let's you pack a punch from affar.
-medium armor, but with 450 hp and mana good enough. High damage and rooting skills lets them take kills easily.
-properly placing blast shots is essential so as to Get the most damage to most people before they reach you. Scream is not as useful here, very little range.
Int: a rarely seen class saved for more skilled players
-hybrid stat, has least armor and due to weapon Proc very often gathers aggro like crazy.
-a secret in Pvp is how darkbolt weapons can also trigger a cruel shot combo, and combined with darkbolt Proc you got a nice addition to team.

Enchantress, a powerful magc user who specializes in making short work of whole mobs.
Str: Paladins (pally for short) are used to give fragile mages a higher chance in combat.
-hybrid stat, with only 400hp the higher armor is a blessing, allowing the Mage to actually get int the crowd and deal spells like crazy.
-every single Aoe spell is a must, and a good heal+buff
Dex: a ranged Mage but with more armor than regular one.
-hybrd stat, can survive just a little longer than int mages, and can stay away from damage unlike pally.
-a really usefull life saving skill is steal life, max range spell that deals and heals good damage. Paired with the high crit self buff, murder.
Int: allows for the most powerful spells and has recently been powered up.
-pure allocation, give upwards to 700mana to use like drugs.
-with so much mana, mana shield is very usefull. But only one level is necessary since the armor bonuses each time are minimal.

Dual wielding is a term given to being able to switch from one kind of weapon (by stat) to another. Used by specializing in two stats equally and making up the difference needed with bonuses from lower level items. One of the dual wielded stats needs to be the pure allocation due to starting with 7 already, or if not there won't be enough stats to put in to wear highest level gear.