One of the recent forum threads (sorry, don't remember which) touched on directed spell bonuses. That got me thinking. When a character uses a spell for which they could develop directed spell bonus, but they have not, I have never made them take a -25 penalty on their attack. But reading the rules, and looking forward from RM2 to RMSS, it appears they should indeed have that penalty.
That seems overly punitive, in a way, but it's never really occurred to me before. I'm tempted to say that by the time someone can actually cast the spell, presumably they've had enough trial and error that they would be at a 0, not -25. What magic school would let a student run around casting firebolts at a -25? I think it differs from mundane weapon skill development, in that the caster must learn to make the weapon, so to speak, before they try to wield it. They aren't merely "picking up" a firebolt someone else left laying around.
Have others used the -25 penalty? Is there a buried rule I'm missing? Balance?