There technically are rules for surfaces but all the things that make surfaces interesting here - like "dipping" and "surface combos" are not.
1. surface combos are super gamey and immersion breaking at times. "Oh no there is electrified blood on the floor" -> "great" stuff 2. You already have an alternative to dipping in the core rules. Elemental Weapon. But yeah, dropping a candle on the floor and lightning my sword on fire for a few rounds seems legit.
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Its what every mage does every combat every time
Its more of a meme. Fireball is great in a certain niche. Any wizard pumping fireballs into a single strong baddie is just wasting spell slots and not doing anything op. Fireball is great against hordes of little stuff. Seems to me, that the rules are not garbage, but you don't understand what you can do with them. Like I already said: smells like improv table to me, which are more often miss than hit.
