Virtually no one claims that ground effects have "no business in D&D", most of us are quite aware that D&D has a lot of ground based spells like Spike Growth, Grease, Web, etc. as well as items such as Alchemist's Fire or oil/acid flasks. What D&D DOESN'T have are cantrips that deal damage AND create a surface effect in addition or even on a miss. Of course throwing an oil flask with your rogue and having your mage set it ablaze with Burning Hands or even a Firebolt should remain, no one is arguing that.
But a Firebolt that creates a fire ground effect by itself is a bit much, not to mention the general overuse of such effects.
Exactly. On lower levels it's one of the most popular tactics: using Create Bonefire and throwing an Oil Flask. So there is a cantrip that creates a fire surface in 5e (Bonfire, but you know - it's fire). But it requires CONCENTRAION, which is BIG factor for AOE surface effects, because they are powerful so caster can only keep one at the time because concentration. So why add surface effects to spells that should not have them? It destroys balance of spells.
For example there is no point in adding freeze effect to something like Cone of Cold. Cone of Cold it's meant to be damage spell, it's balanced around that. Adding CC to it on top of that makes it OP. If you want to CC group of enemies, go with Wall of Ice or Mealstorm etc.
You want electric AOE effect that lasts? You have Storm Sphere for it.
DnD doesn't need DOS 2 elemental sufraces. It has tons of spell that can do it and are balanced around it.
Also DnD is not balanced around comboing elemental effect of spells. For example Otiuke Freezing Sphere won't freeze wet target in DnD. It just deal cold damage.
I don't want to play DOS again. I want to play DnD.
