encrusting and notation question

every encrusting formula has a purple 5 pointed star in the notation. I can't figure out what notation this is. i look at my symbols at my skills and stats and i dont see this notatoin.

when i craft or when i highlight an item i see the symbols for what will change. is there anyway to highlight those symbols to see what they are. its a hassle to equip something to check to see what changed and then highlight those symbols. i dont have them all memorized. it would be easier if i can see the symbols for the skills/stats are when i highlight the item (so see the word for it)

 

It's the chance of the item gaining an unstable crust, it works like this:

The first encrust you apply on an item will never be unstable
Encrusts of the same kind will increase the risk of being unstable multiplicatively
Encrusts of different kinds will increase the risk of being unstable additively

I don't have any numbers on me right now, but multiply the purple number by itself if you're applying it more than once on the same item to get the % chance of the crust becoming unstable
If you're applying a crust on a previously encrusted item of a different kind, just add the two numbers to get the %

Unstable crusts have a chance to proc all kinds of nasty stuff. Some can be quite handy, if you have the right resistances and know what you're doing, but in general it is a very good idea to not use unstable equipment, and by extension, not to encrust your equipment too much.

 

You might want to look at the chapter on encrusting in the guide I wrote. It has a few more details about the bad things that can happen with instabilities: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=164426644

 

what happens when an encrust is unstable?

 

i got a comment about that, but it didnt show up in the weapons stats?

any way to get rid of bad effects?

 

Only the very pragmatic way of turning it into Lutefisk.

Getting rid of it without also getting rid of the weapon? Nope.
Hence the don't-encrust-your-good-gear-too-much comment.

 

None outside of getting rid of the item.

But then again, if the effect you got is that you explode whenever you hit something or are hit, it's possible to get some blasting resistance and just proceed, exploding in monsters' faces the entire time.