Is there a general interpretation for this?

On page 189 of the 5th edition core rule book the ease factor formula (along with the formula in the formula index) and text for sight rolls all say "difference between current level's aura and sought level's aura". The numerical example, however, reads "21:5+[2x[3+5]]" SUMMING the two values rather than finding the difference.

as i think about it neither option really makes sense because summing makes it harder to go higher and higher (which i feel is right), but eaiser to go from a 1 to a 10 than going from a 9 to a 10(wich i feel is wrong). While the difference makes it harder to jump several aura levels at a time (which i feel is right), it makes it too easy to move up to close togeather levels (or go back down for that matter).

What method do most people use? I already submitted an eratta request to dave to fix one or the other.

The difference is 8 because they are different kinds of auras.
Three levels from Divine 3 to ZERO, plus five levels from ZERO to 5.

So it's differences not sums.
It is not too easy: Difficulty is no less than 7.
Average Perception is +0
Somebody who took a flaw to get a supernatural sight virtue gets it at 1 (plus 1 for appropriate specialty).

So someone with the right virtue always finds the easiest regiones, but has huge difficulties finding the exotic one in the example.

Didn't see that divine bit. :blush:

That raises another question i have. Divine is a straight minus because thats how it affects magic right? so going from a Fey arua would be trated as half it's level because you get +aura/2 from fey auras right? and then, what if you got full bonus from fey auras (fey bloodline does that i think)

I don't think so. Faerie and Magic auras may positively affect magic of the other kind, but still lay in different directions. You could picture this as the sound in a maze -- you can hear sounds through the wall, but you still need to travel around those walls to get to the other side.

Salvete, Sodales!

[quote="Sir Swindle"That raises another question i have. Divine is a straight minus because thats how it affects magic right? so going from a Fey arua would be trated as half it's level because you get +aura/2 from fey auras right? and then, what if you got full bonus from fey auras (fey bloodline does that i think)[/quote]
I am afraid, it gets more complicated: I'd follow Arthur's logic and say that the Ease Factor of the die roll is determined by the difference of the aura levels, regardless of the question how these auras interfere with each other. But then there is also the modification of the die roll based on the realm interaction table, just as it is there for any other supernatural ability.
So, in the concrete example from the core rules the ease factor is 21 for any user of Second Sight, but the roll might be modified by +3 (divine origin), -9 (magical origin), -12 (faerie origin) or -15 (infernal origin). In my experience most characters with second sight got this virtue as part of the strong faerie blood package, and so their power is based in faerie. It rarely works in the dominion.

Vale,
Alexios ex Miscellanea

sound of exploding brains

Thats from the response email I got from Dave. So thats some waht solved i suppose.

Look at the differences between auras as steps on different ladders. If you're standing on the Divine level 3 and want to go to the Magic level 5, you step 3 steps down to level ground (level ZERO) and another 5 steps up to the magic level 5.
And completely ignore what bonus you might or might have from e.g. being attuned to the Fey ways. Otherwise going up the 'Divine Ladder' would be thrice as hard for normal magi.