Environmental effects are super straightforward once you get the hang of it Fire burns stuff for damage and makes oil go boom while ice slows everyone down and might make em slip if theyre not careful Water conducts electricity real nice and freezes solid when hit with cold magic, pretty useful for crowd control. Poison needs constitution checks or youll get disadvantage on everything, and acid just straight up eats through armor no save needed

Good to know steam makes targets wet and weak to cold lightning stuff particularly nasty when you combo it with other effects. Try placing some oil barrels before fights start then light em up when enemies group together works every time. Maybe interesting you can chain these together like freezing water then melting it with fire to create steam or electrifying puddles to zap whole groups, just watch your own team doesnt get caught in it too

Most surfaces stick around a few turns so plan ahead and dont box yourself in especially with acid or fire those hurt the most if youre not paying attention