Monte Cook along with Monte Cook Are Instructing Sessions at Dungeon Master University

Since 2018, Tabletop Vacations has been organizing immersive events where professional dungeon masters manage fantasy roleplaying games in ancient fortresses in Britain and at Landoll’s Mohican Castle. The full-service getaways are widely appreciated among forever DMs who seldom have the moment to participate as players themselves, and they often seek advice from the pros on topics ranging from spontaneous storytelling and crafting riddles to managing conflicts at the table.

In response, the organizers began crafting a structured way to tackle these topics, which led to the creation of DMU. The debut workshop is planned for the start of 2026 at a university in Atlanta.

“There are countless online tutorials on almost every theme and gain significant knowledge, but the concept was that nothing compares to an in-person experience together with peers in game mastering, where real-time interaction with faculty instructors and your peers often in comparable situations and also want to enhance their abilities,” explained the dean of Dungeon Master University.

Available Classes and Cost Levels

DMs can choose from options ranging from $995 to $2.5K, depending on the level of access they desire with the experts. The base tier includes a choice of four workshops:

• Core Techniques: Covers the fundamentals of managing a session.
• Campaign Building: Is dedicated to designing extended campaigns.
• Worldbuilding: Emphasizes the development of worlds.
• Professional Development: Aimed at game masters who want to learn more about the tabletop profession.

Every class includes two days of training split over a weekend.

“The workshops are created so that you depart having immediate practical outcomes, increased self-assurance, and a lot of usable tools,” Carl noted. “It's more than presentations and they exceed pre-recorded material. These are sessions that you can join, learn from, and then return to your group the following week and apply in your local game.”

Professional Teachers

The majority of workshops are led by two professors. Universe creation is taught by an industry veteran and a renowned campaign designer, jointly leading the craft of setting creation.

Industry advancement features several experts, such as Elisa Teague, Clint McElroy, and a pioneering DM. The additional faculty is designed to provide specialized information to students with particular aims.

“Various attendees plan to create their own real-play series and share their stories with the world, some of them want to publish and create new material,” Carl said. “Others simply wish to ask, How do I get to be a DM at an event like a castle event? What are the skills that I need? Is this achievable?”

Advanced Options

A fifteen hundred dollar enhanced option provides access to a opening gathering, a starter kit, and a half-hour consultation appointment with an instructor. This marks the first Dungeon Master Academy, though the organizers has previously run Castle Days during breaks between campaigns at their immersive experiences.

“It would be possible to organize an complete event just on one-on-one meetings for expert DMs,” Carl observed. “I'm not certain if that’s the optimal application of all participants' schedule – I think the coursework and the practical exercises is too valuable – but I suspect it’s going to be among the most sought-after parts of the program.”

The $2,500 top package includes an 60-minute private session and the opportunity to run a game for a small group plus an instructor, who will then offer feedback and instruction.

“The purpose is for the faculty member to evaluate any element is concerned with: Hey I don’t do well with improvisation or I get blocked in specific fight encounters. Could I demonstrate a scenario for you and get feedback on my areas of proficiency and challenge?” Carl detailed. “Or maybe they want to obtain critique and guidance on a particular setting that they’ve been creating.”

Coming Developments

Feedback from the inaugural session will help determine upcoming academy workshops. Carl mentioned that potential adjustments could include expanding one-on-one sessions, lengthening the event to a longer period, or testing varied class arrangements.

“I anticipate that we host such events very often,” Carl expressed. “I would love to see several DMU sessions in a single year, in various locations, and in various nations. The feedback has been really terrific. We're quite pleased with what we’re seeing and I feel it would be wonderful to be able to do this in collaboration with major events.”