Monte Cook and Keith Baker Are Instructing Workshops at Dungeon Master University

Since 2018, Tabletop Vacations has been running immersive events where expert DMs lead D&D games in historic castles in the UK and at a U.S. castle resort. These all-inclusive trips are especially popular among forever DMs who seldom have the chance to actually play themselves, and they often ask for tips from experts on topics ranging from improvisation and puzzle design to managing conflicts at the table.

In response, the organizers began developing a systematic approach to address these questions, which led to the establishment of the Dungeon Master Academy. The first session is set for the start of 2026 at an Atlanta campus.

“You can watch thousands of YouTube videos on almost every theme and gain significant knowledge, but the idea was that nothing truly replaces an in-person experience alongside peers in game mastering, where real-time interaction with faculty instructors and your peers likely in the same boat and aim to improve their skills,” noted the dean of Dungeon Master University.

Available Classes and Pricing Tiers

DMs can opt for packages ranging from nearly a thousand dollars to $2,500, according to the level of access they desire with the instructors. The starting package includes a choice of four workshops:

• Core Techniques: Focuses on the basics of running D&D.
• Long-Term Game Planning: Is dedicated to building persistent adventures.
• Setting Creation: Concentrates on the crafting of environments.
• Industry Advancement: Tailored to dungeon masters who seek to understand more about the roleplaying business.

All workshops includes two days of instruction split over a weekend.

“The courses are designed so that you depart having tangible results, probably greater confidence, and numerous applicable methods,” Carl noted. “They’re not just lectures and they exceed pre-recorded material. These classes that you can attend, gain knowledge from, and then head back to your table the next week and apply in your local game.”

Expert Instructors

Many sessions are led by duo of instructors. Worldbuilding is guided by the founder of Monte Cook Games and a renowned campaign designer, jointly leading the skill of universe design.

Professional development features multiple instructors, such as a puzzle design specialist, Clint McElroy, and Hunter Fell. The extra instructors is meant to provide specialized information to participants with particular aims.

“Certain participants plan to create their own live gameplay show and present their narratives with the world, some of them plan to produce and develop fresh ideas,” Carl stated. “Some just want to ask, What's the path to be a DM at a program like an immersive experience? What are the skills that I need? Is this achievable?”

Premium Packages

A $1.5K enhanced option offers access to a opening gathering, a welcome gift pack, and a 30-minute office hour appointment with one of the faculty. This marks the inaugural DMU session, though the team has previously run comparable workshops during breaks between adventures at their castle events.

“You could almost run an entire weekend just on consultation sessions for career game masters,” Carl mentioned. “I don’t know if that’s the best use of each attendee's hours – In my opinion the structured learning and the practical exercises is too valuable – but I suspect it’s going to be a highly favored parts of the program.”

The twenty-five hundred dollar platinum tier provides an 60-minute private session and the possibility to run a game for a small group plus a teacher, who will then give comments and guidance.

“The goal is for the teacher to assess any element is concerned with: Hey I don’t do well with improvisation or I get blocked in specific fight encounters. Can I run a scenario for you and receive input on where I excel and need improvement?” Carl detailed. “Or maybe they want to receive input and guidance on a particular setting that they’ve been building.”

Next Steps

Responses from the inaugural session will help shape future Dungeon Master University sessions. Carl mentioned that possible changes could include expanding one-on-one sessions, lengthening the event to a longer period, or testing different seminar structures.

“I hope that we do this regularly,” Carl expressed. “I truly hope to see numerous academy events in a calendar year, in multiple places, and in various nations. The feedback has been extremely positive. We're extremely satisfied with current developments and I think it would be amazing to be able to do this in collaboration with major events.”