Keith Baker and Monte Cook Are Teaching Sessions at Dungeon Master Academy

Since 2018, Tabletop Vacations has been running immersive events where expert DMs lead Dungeons & Dragons games in ancient fortresses in Britain and at Landoll’s Mohican Castle. These all-inclusive trips are widely appreciated among forever DMs who rarely get the opportunity to join in the game themselves, and they often look for guidance from experts on topics ranging from improv and puzzle design to handling difficult situations at the table.

In response, the coordinators began designing a structured way to answer these inquiries, which led to the creation of Dungeon Master University. The inaugural event is scheduled for the start of 2026 at a university in Atlanta.

“You can watch thousands of YouTube videos on almost every theme and acquire valuable insights, but the idea was that nothing truly replaces face-to-face interaction in the company of fellow DMs, where there’s live engagement with faculty instructors and other game masters often in the same boat and also want to enhance their abilities,” stated the dean of Dungeon Master University.

Available Classes and Pricing Tiers

Dungeon Masters can select tiers ranging from nearly a thousand dollars to $2,500, depending on the degree of interaction they desire with the instructors. The entry-level option includes one of four courses:

• Skill Building: Teaches the essentials of leading a game.
• Long-Term Game Planning: Focuses around designing extended campaigns.
• Universe Design: Concentrates on the art of setting design.
• Industry Advancement: Designed for game masters who want to learn more about the tabletop profession.

Each course includes eight hours of instruction split over a weekend.

“The courses are designed so that you leave with tangible results, increased self-assurance, and many practical techniques,” Carl said. “These aren't simple talks and they’re not just static videos. These are sessions that you can attend, gain knowledge from, and then go right back home the week after and apply in your home campaign.”

Expert Instructors

The majority of workshops are led by two professors. Setting design is taught by Monte Cook and the creator of Eberron, together instructing the skill of universe design.

Industry advancement features several experts, such as an author on gaming puzzles, an entertainment professional, and an early professional game master. The expanded teaching staff is designed to offer targeted guidance to attendees with specific goals.

“Some of them plan to create their own live gameplay show and display their adventures with the world, some of them want to publish and develop fresh ideas,” Carl stated. “Some just want to ask, What's the path to be a DM at something like a castle event? What capabilities that I need? Can anyone do it?”

Higher Tiers

A $1,500 enhanced option provides access to a opening gathering, a welcome gift pack, and a brief one-on-one appointment with one of the faculty. This constitutes the inaugural DMU session, though the team has previously run comparable workshops during breaks between adventures at their immersive experiences.

“One could practically host an entire weekend just on one-on-one meetings for professional dungeon masters,” Carl observed. “I'm not certain if that’s the best use of each attendee's hours – I think the formal instruction and the lab work is too valuable – but I believe it’s going to be among the most sought-after parts of the program.”

The $2,500 premium option includes an 60-minute private session and the possibility to manage an adventure for several participants plus a teacher, who will then offer feedback and instruction.

“The purpose is for the faculty member to review whatever the DM is concerned with: I struggle with improv or I get blocked in this kind of combat situation. Can I run a scene for you and receive input on my areas of proficiency and challenge?” Carl explained. “Perhaps they want to obtain critique and guidance on a definite universe that they’ve been building.”

Next Steps

Responses from the inaugural session will help determine upcoming academy workshops. Carl said that possible changes could include adding more office hours, extending the program to a longer period, or experimenting with different seminar structures.

“I expect that we conduct these very often,” Carl stated. “I truly hope to see numerous academy events in a given year, in different cities, and in multiple countries. The response has been overwhelmingly favorable. We're extremely satisfied with the results so far and I think it would be fantastic to be able to conduct this in collaboration with major events.”