So per the case of fire dmg in game (1-4 dmg per turn) and fire dmg on tabletop (5 dmg static? per turn) it is consistent?
The big suggestion I think would make everyone happy is to not let firebolt create a surface AND do direct damage at the same time. At that point it is double dipping direct damage and surface damage (1d6 + 1d4 = approx 2-10 dmg). BUT isn't 5e firebolt 1d10 dmg? so does that not equal out? The biggest case against it doing surface is it can turn firebolt into an AE spell if targets are in a flammable surface.
If anything, Larian's current design for firebolt may make it less useful at higher levels. I looked it up and 5e has firebolt doing 2d10 at 5th lvl, 3d10 at 11th lvl, and 4d10 at 17th lvl.
Right now if Larian were to increase the dmg die by 2/3/4 it would only be 2d6/3d6/4d6 while fire dmg would conceivably keep doing 1d4.
So at 17th level Larian's firebolt would do about 5-28 max dmg (4d6 + 1d4) and 5e firebolt would do 4-40 dmg (4d10).
