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

Since 2018, Tabletop Vacations has been running immersive events where experienced game masters run Dungeons & Dragons games in old manors in England and at an American castle venue. These all-inclusive trips are especially popular among forever DMs who rarely get the chance to join in the game themselves, and they often seek advice from experts on topics ranging from improvisation and crafting riddles to handling difficult situations at the table.

In response, the planners began developing a structured way to address these questions, which led to the founding of Dungeon Master University. The debut workshop is scheduled for January 2-3, 2026 at Oglethorpe University.

“You can watch thousands of YouTube videos on virtually any subject and learn quite a lot, but the concept was that there’s just no substitute face-to-face interaction together with fellow DMs, where real-time interaction with faculty instructors and your peers likely in a similar position and aim to level up their game,” explained Jason Carl.

Available Classes and Ticket Packages

Dungeon Masters can opt for options ranging from just under $1,000 to $2,500, depending on the amount of contact they desire with the experts. The starting package includes one of four courses:

• Core Techniques: Focuses on the basics of managing a session.
• Campaign Building: Centers on designing extended campaigns.
• Universe Design: Concentrates on the art of setting design.
• Industry Advancement: Tailored to game masters who aim to explore more about the tabletop profession.

Every class includes eight hours of classwork spread over two days.

“The courses are created so that you depart having usable skills, enhanced belief in your abilities, and a lot of usable tools,” Carl said. “It's more than presentations and they go beyond recorded content. These are sessions that you can attend, learn from, and then head back to your table the week after and implement in your local game.”

Professional Teachers

The majority of workshops are led by a pair of experts. Worldbuilding is guided by the founder of Monte Cook Games and Keith Baker, both teaching the skill of universe design.

Career building includes several experts, such as an author on gaming puzzles, Clint McElroy, and a pioneering DM. The extra instructors is meant to provide specialized information to attendees with particular aims.

“Various attendees want to launch their own D&D actual play and share their stories with the world, some of them want to publish and develop fresh ideas,” Carl explained. “Others simply wish to ask, How do I get to be a DM at an event like D&D in a Castle? What capabilities that I need? Is it for everyone?”

Premium Packages

A $1,500 gold tier provides access to a opening gathering, a welcome gift pack, and a half-hour consultation appointment with one of the faculty. This represents the inaugural DMU session, though the organizers has previously run comparable workshops 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 said. “I'm not certain if that’s the optimal application of all participants' schedule – In my opinion the structured learning and the lab work is highly beneficial – but I suspect it’s going to be among the most sought-after parts of the program.”

The $2.5K top package includes an extended personal consultation and the opportunity to run a game for several participants plus a teacher, who will then provide notes and instruction.

“The aim is for the faculty member to review any element is concerned with: I struggle with spontaneous decisions or I feel stuck in certain battle scenarios. Could I demonstrate a situation for you and obtain advice on what my strengths and weaknesses are?” Carl explained. “Or maybe they want to receive input and advice on a definite universe that they’ve been building.”

Next Steps

Responses from the first event will help guide upcoming academy workshops. Carl mentioned that potential adjustments could include adding more office hours, extending the program to 72 hours, or trying out different seminar structures.

“I hope that we host such events regularly,” Carl said. “I would love to see multiple Dungeon Master Universities in a given year, in various locations, and in multiple countries. The feedback has been really terrific. We're extremely satisfied with the results so far and I believe it would be amazing to be able to do this in collaboration with big conventions.”