Monte Cook along with Keith Baker Are Teaching Sessions at Dungeon Master University

Beginning in 2018, a specialized event organizer has been organizing deeply engaging experiences where professional dungeon masters run Dungeons & Dragons games in historic castles in Britain and at an American castle venue. The full-service getaways are highly favored among forever DMs who infrequently find the opportunity to join in the game themselves, and they often ask for tips from experts on topics ranging from improvisation and crafting riddles to dealing with tough scenarios at the table.

In response, the organizers began designing a organized method to answer these inquiries, which led to the founding of Dungeon Master University. The first session is planned for the start of 2026 at an Atlanta campus.

“There are countless online tutorials on any topic and learn quite a lot, but the philosophy was that nothing compares to a live, hands-on session in the company of other dungeon masters, where direct communication with faculty instructors and other game masters likely in a similar position and seek to level up their game,” stated the program's dean.

Workshop Options and Cost Levels

Dungeon Masters can choose from options ranging from just under $1,000 to two thousand five hundred dollars, according to the level of access they desire with the instructors. The entry-level option includes a choice of four workshops:

• Skill Building: Teaches the fundamentals of managing a session.
• Long-Term Game Planning: Focuses around building persistent adventures.
• Worldbuilding: Concentrates on the crafting of environments.
• Career Building: Designed for DMs who seek to understand more about the tabletop profession.

All workshops includes eight hours of training split over a weekend.

“The workshops are structured so that you leave with usable skills, increased self-assurance, and many practical techniques,” Carl explained. “It's more than presentations and they go beyond recorded content. These workshops that you can participate in, learn from, and then head back to your table the week after and put into practice in your regular session.”

Expert Instructors

Most classes are instructed by duo of instructors. Setting design is taught by an industry veteran and Keith Baker, jointly leading the skill of universe design.

Industry advancement presents four different teachers, such as an author on gaming puzzles, a podcast co-host, and an early professional game master. The extra instructors is meant to offer targeted guidance to attendees with specific goals.

“Some of them aim to start their own real-play series and display their adventures with the world, some of them want to publish and create new material,” Carl explained. “Several only seek to ask, What's the path to be a DM at something like D&D in a Castle? What capabilities that I need? Can anyone do it?”

Advanced Options

A $1.5K gold tier provides access to a introductory event, a welcome gift pack, and a brief one-on-one appointment with one of the faculty. This constitutes the first Dungeon Master Academy, though the company has previously run Castle Days during breaks between game sessions at their immersive experiences.

“You could almost run an entire weekend just on office hours for professional dungeon masters,” Carl observed. “It's unclear if that’s the optimal application of everybody’s time – I believe the coursework and the hands-on activities is highly beneficial – but I think it’s going to be one of the most popular parts of the program.”

The $2.5K top package offers an hour of one-on-one time and the chance to run a game for several participants plus a teacher, who will then offer feedback and instruction.

“The purpose is for the teacher to assess whatever the DM is concerned with: Hey I don’t do well with improv or I feel stuck in specific fight encounters. Could I demonstrate a scene for you and receive input on my areas of proficiency and challenge?” Carl said. “Alternatively they want to receive input and guidance on a definite universe that they’ve been developing.”

Coming Developments

Feedback from the inaugural session will help determine subsequent DMU events. Carl mentioned that likely modifications could include adding more office hours, making it longer to three days, or experimenting with alternative workshop formats.

“I hope that we host such events regularly,” Carl stated. “I really want to see multiple Dungeon Master Universities in a given year, in multiple places, and in various nations. The reception has been overwhelmingly favorable. We're quite pleased with what we’re seeing and I think it would be fantastic to be able to conduct this in conjunction with major events.”