Can encrusts be made to add special powers to non-weapon items? and if so would these trigger in the same way as encrust-based weapon powers (ie triggering on attack and autotargeting the enemy)?
Technically speaking, yes. It's only a matter of whether the item itself (or rather, item type) has the data hook for triggering said effect (the answer ought to be "yes" here regardless of the item, but I can't give you a guarantee there) and sending the targeting data (the same as above). Ergo, simply testing it is likely the best way to go at it. I would try to do that for you, but I don't really have time for that until Saturday evening (because "being a store clerk" added "Christian holiday incoming" equals "can I has sleep?").
