Monte Cook along with Keith Baker Are Instructing Classes at Dungeon Master Academy

Since 2018, a specialized event organizer has been running immersive events where experienced game masters lead Dungeons & Dragons games in historic castles in Britain and at a U.S. castle resort. The comprehensive packages are widely appreciated among long-time dungeon masters who rarely get the chance to actually play themselves, and they often seek advice from seasoned professionals on topics ranging from spontaneous storytelling and crafting riddles to dealing with tough scenarios at the table.

In response, the coordinators began developing a systematic approach to address these questions, which led to the establishment of DMU. The debut workshop is scheduled for January 2-3, 2026 at Oglethorpe University.

“You can watch countless online tutorials on virtually any subject and learn quite a lot, but the philosophy was that there’s just no substitute a live, hands-on session in the company of peers in game mastering, where real-time interaction with seasoned educators and your peers often in a similar position and seek to enhance their abilities,” noted Jason Carl.

Workshop Options and Pricing Tiers

Dungeon Masters can opt for packages ranging from just under $1,000 to $2.5K, according to the degree of interaction they desire with the instructors. The entry-level option includes one of four courses:

• Skill Building: Focuses on the essentials of managing a session.
• Long-Term Game Planning: Focuses around building persistent adventures.
• Universe Design: Emphasizes the crafting of environments.
• Industry Advancement: Tailored to DMs who seek to understand more about the gaming industry.

Each course includes eight hours of training divided across a weekend.

“The workshops are created so that you leave with usable skills, increased self-assurance, and a lot of usable tools,” Carl noted. “These aren't simple talks and they go beyond recorded content. These classes that you can join, absorb insights from, and then return to your group the next week and put into practice in your regular session.”

Professional Teachers

The majority of workshops are taught by duo of instructors. Setting design is led by an industry veteran and the creator of Eberron, both teaching 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 extra instructors is designed to provide specialized information to attendees with definite objectives.

“Some of them plan to create their own real-play series and share their stories with the world, some of them plan to produce and develop fresh ideas,” Carl stated. “Some just want to ask, How do I get to be a DM at a program like a castle event? Which abilities that I need? Is it for everyone?”

Higher Tiers

A fifteen hundred dollar gold tier includes access to a welcome reception, a introductory package, and a 30-minute office hour appointment with an instructor. This constitutes the first Dungeon Master Academy, though the company has previously run comparable workshops during breaks between game sessions at their immersive experiences.

“One could practically host an entire weekend just on consultation sessions for expert DMs,” Carl mentioned. “I don’t know if that’s the most effective utilization of each attendee's hours – In my opinion the structured learning 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 $2,500 platinum tier offers an 60-minute private session and the possibility to lead a session for five players plus one of the faculty members, who will then offer feedback and instruction.

“The goal is for the teacher to evaluate whichever aspect is interested in: Hey I don’t do well with spontaneous decisions or I encounter obstacles in specific fight encounters. May I present a scene for you and receive input on where I excel and need improvement?” Carl explained. “Or maybe they want to obtain critique and information on a particular setting that they’ve been creating.”

Next Steps

Feedback from the debut workshop will help guide future Dungeon Master University sessions. Carl suggested that possible changes could include expanding one-on-one sessions, extending the program to three days, or trying out different seminar structures.

“I anticipate that we host such events frequently,” Carl expressed. “I really want to see multiple Dungeon Master Universities in a calendar year, in various locations, and in different countries. The response has been overwhelmingly favorable. We're quite pleased with current developments and I believe it would be wonderful to be able to do this in conjunction with large gatherings.”