The surfaces are the worst.
I like them. It makes for a reactive environment, which I think is interesting and fun.
Everyone likes a reactive environment I think, but not when
everything is an excuse for Larian to create another surface. They go too far with their one track mind of "more surfaces = better".
With Chromatic Orb I want my 3d8. I'm casting it because I want to do damage. A big part of the spell's usefulness is the ability to switch elements to take advantage of a vulnerability, which can make that 6d8. I wouldn't be opposed to having a
choice to aim it at the ground instead, to create a surface without the direct damage for other tactical uses like slowing down an incoming mob or AoE damage. But cutting damage potential for a surface I don't want is extremely annoying.
Also, the real surface spells start coming after level 5. Sleet Storm, Wall of Fire, Stinking Cloud, Evard's Black Tentacles, Cloudkill... We don't have to start spamming surfaces right away from every spell that remotely deals with some element.
