NMIX 6030 — Dungeons and Dragons

Your way to learn about different dungeons and dragons spells/what classes in D&D tend to use which spells! Spring 2026

Project Overview

DnD Spell Builder is an iOS app I made to help both new and experienced players look through spells, save their favorites, and even get a recommended character class based on what they pick. I focused a lot on making it easy to read, keeping a consistent DnD-style vibe, and adding simple interactions like dropdown spell descriptions and a “selected spells” section that keeps everything organized. I built it using swift and DnD 5e API.

The Problem

New Dungeons & Dragons players often struggle to understand which spells align with which classes (I’m still learning this to be honest and how to quickly compare options without digging through long rulebooks or scattered web pages. Even experienced players can find it tedious to cross-reference spells and class usage, especially on mobile (the absolute last thing I recommend is trying to learn D&D beyond on mobile). The goal was to create a simple, friendly way to browse spells, learn their details, and see a suggested class that fits the user’s current interests. By reducing friction and improving presentation, the app helps players make more confident, informed decisions when planning characters or sessions.

The Solution

I designed and built a SwiftUI app that emphasizes clarity and alo style to match the vibes of D&D! To me the color scheme of this website was very important because I love the atmosphere around dungeons and dragons and I wanted this app to reflect the magical/adventurous outlet the game gives me! The gradients convey the theme without sacrificing contrast or readability. A dedicated section surfaces the user’s picks immediately, using a simple toggle to add/remove spells. This makes it easy to curate a short list of the players favorites as they scroll. Both the main list and the detail collapsible sections (with a lazy-loaded preview on the list) so information density stays manageable while details remain accessible. The suggested classes and character types acts as a friendly guide for beginners and a quick reference for returning players. The app fetches the spell list once, then only loads detail text when a row expands which makes it a lot more accessible (in my opinion) compared to D&D beyond, which I generally really like but when I was first starting, there was SO much information it was genuinely a bit overwhelming.

Results

The final app delivers a focused, readable, and thematic experience that makes learning spells feel approachable. The “selected spells” section and class recommendation help beginners connect their interests to concrete character choices, while collapsible descriptions make reference and comparison smoother. Lessons learned include the importance of balancing theme with contrast, the value of loading for performance and ux, and how small affordances (like sectioning and toggles) meaningfully improve clarity. Next steps include enhancing the recommendation system with actual class data from the API, adding filters (by level, school, or class), and refining the iconography and smaller magical animations (like sparkles for example or red smoke like a dragon) to deepen the “magical” feel.