Monte Cook and Keith Baker Are Teaching Classes at DMU

Beginning in 2018, Tabletop Vacations has been organizing immersive events where professional dungeon masters run fantasy roleplaying games in historic castles in England and at an American castle venue. The comprehensive packages are highly favored among forever DMs who rarely get the chance to participate as players themselves, and they often seek advice from experts on topics ranging from improvisation and puzzle design to managing conflicts at the table.

In response, the coordinators began crafting a organized method to address these questions, which led to the establishment of Dungeon Master University. The first session is set for the start of 2026 at an Atlanta campus.

“It's possible to view countless online tutorials on any topic and acquire valuable insights, but the philosophy was that nothing compares to face-to-face interaction alongside fellow DMs, where there’s live engagement with seasoned educators and your fellow DMs who are probably in comparable situations and also want to enhance their abilities,” stated the program's dean.

Available Classes and Pricing Tiers

Dungeon Masters can choose from tiers ranging from just under $1,000 to $2,500, according to the amount of contact they desire with the professionals. The entry-level option includes selection from four classes:

• Core Techniques: Teaches the basics of running D&D.
• Campaign Building: Centers on designing extended campaigns.
• Worldbuilding: Emphasizes the art of setting design.
• Professional Development: Aimed at dungeon masters who aim to explore more about the tabletop profession.

All workshops includes eight hours of instruction divided across 48 hours.

“The workshops are designed so that you depart having tangible results, increased self-assurance, and numerous applicable methods,” Carl explained. “They’re not just lectures and they exceed pre-recorded material. These are sessions that you can attend, learn from, and then head back to your table the week after and put into practice in your regular session.”

Professional Teachers

Many sessions are instructed by a pair of experts. Universe creation is taught by the founder of Monte Cook Games and the creator of Eberron, jointly leading the skill of universe design.

Career building presents multiple instructors, such as an author on gaming puzzles, a podcast co-host, and an early professional game master. The additional faculty is intended to offer targeted guidance to attendees with definite objectives.

“Various attendees plan to create their own live gameplay show and present their narratives with the world, some of them aim to release and develop fresh ideas,” Carl explained. “Some just want to ask, What's the path to be a DM at a program like D&D in a Castle? What are the skills that I need? Can anyone do it?”

Premium Packages

A $1,500 premium package offers access to a introductory event, a introductory package, and a brief one-on-one appointment with a teacher. This represents the first Dungeon Master Academy, though the organizers has previously run similar events during breaks between game sessions at their premium gatherings.

“It would be possible to organize an full two days just on office hours for expert DMs,” Carl observed. “I'm not certain if that’s the best use of everybody’s time – I think the coursework and the lab work is too valuable – but I think it’s going to be one of the most popular parts of the program.”

The $2.5K premium option includes an hour of one-on-one time and the opportunity to lead a session for several participants plus an instructor, who will then give comments and guidance.

“The aim is for the teacher to evaluate any element is focused on: I struggle with spontaneous decisions or I get blocked in certain battle scenarios. May I present a situation for you and receive input on what my strengths and weaknesses are?” Carl said. “Perhaps they want to get feedback and information on a specific world that they’ve been developing.”

Next Steps

Input from the first event will help determine upcoming academy workshops. Carl said that likely modifications could include adding more office hours, extending the program to three days, or testing varied class arrangements.

“I expect that we do this regularly,” Carl stated. “I truly hope to see multiple Dungeon Master Universities in a single year, in different cities, and in multiple countries. The reception has been extremely positive. We're extremely satisfied with the results so far and I believe it would be wonderful to be able to organize these in collaboration with major events.”