Monte Cook along with Keith Baker Are Teaching Classes at Dungeon Master Academy
Beginning in 2018, Tabletop Vacations has been hosting deeply engaging experiences where professional dungeon masters run Dungeons & Dragons games in ancient fortresses in Britain and at Landoll’s Mohican Castle. These all-inclusive trips are highly favored among forever DMs who seldom have the chance to join in the game themselves, and they often ask for tips from the pros on topics ranging from improv and creating challenges to managing conflicts at the table.
In response, the organizers began crafting a organized method to answer these inquiries, which led to the founding of Dungeon Master University. The inaugural event is planned for early January 2026 at an Atlanta campus.
“You can watch countless online tutorials on any topic and acquire valuable insights, but the idea was that nothing compares to a live, hands-on session in the company of peers in game mastering, where direct communication with expert teachers and other game masters likely in the same boat and seek to improve their skills,” noted Jason Carl.
Available Classes and Ticket Packages
Game masters can select packages ranging from $995 to two thousand five hundred dollars, depending on the level of access they desire with the instructors. The starting package includes selection from four classes:
- Skill Building: Teaches the basics of leading a game.
- Long-Term Game Planning: Centers on crafting long-running games.
- Worldbuilding: Concentrates on the development of worlds.
- Professional Development: Tailored to dungeon masters who aim to explore more about the gaming industry.
Each course includes eight hours of instruction split over two days.
“The courses are created so that you walk away with usable skills, enhanced belief in your abilities, and a lot of usable tools,” Carl explained. “These aren't simple talks and they go beyond recorded content. These are sessions that you can attend, learn from, and then go right back home the week after and put into practice in your regular session.”
Seasoned Educators
Many sessions are taught by two professors. Worldbuilding is taught by an industry veteran and the creator of Eberron, jointly leading the craft of setting creation.
Industry advancement presents four different teachers, such as an author on gaming puzzles, Clint McElroy, and a pioneering DM. The additional faculty is designed to provide specialized information to participants with particular aims.
“Some of them plan to create their own real-play series and display their adventures with the world, several want to publish and create new material,” Carl said. “Some just want to ask, What's the path to be a DM at something like a castle event? What are the skills that I need? Is this achievable?”
Advanced Options
A fifteen hundred dollar enhanced option offers access to a welcome reception, a welcome gift pack, and a 30-minute office hour appointment with a teacher. This constitutes the inaugural DMU session, though the company has previously run comparable workshops during breaks between campaigns at their premium gatherings.
“One could practically host an complete event just on office hours for career game masters,” Carl observed. “I'm not certain if that’s the most effective utilization of each attendee's hours – In my opinion the structured learning and the practical exercises is highly beneficial – but I suspect it’s going to be a highly favored parts of the program.”
The $2.5K premium option offers an hour of one-on-one time and the chance to manage an adventure for several participants plus a teacher, who will then offer feedback and instruction.
“The aim is for the instructor to assess any element is concerned with: Hey I don’t do well with spontaneous decisions or I get blocked in specific fight encounters. May I present a scenario for you and get feedback on what my strengths and weaknesses are?” Carl explained. “Or maybe they want to get feedback and guidance on a definite universe that they’ve been creating.”
Future Plans
Input from the inaugural session will help shape future Dungeon Master University sessions. Carl suggested that potential adjustments could include adding more office hours, extending the program to a longer period, or experimenting with different seminar structures.
“I hope that we do this very often,” Carl expressed. “I really want to see multiple Dungeon Master Universities in a given year, in multiple places, and in various nations. The reception has been really terrific. We're quite pleased with current developments and I believe it would be amazing to be able to organize these in conjunction with big conventions.”
