Monte Cook along with Keith Baker Will Lead Sessions at Dungeon Master University

Beginning in 2018, a specialized event organizer has been hosting deeply engaging experiences where professional dungeon masters manage fantasy roleplaying games in old manors in England and at an American castle venue. The comprehensive packages are widely appreciated among career game masters who rarely get the opportunity to participate as players themselves, and they often look for guidance from seasoned professionals on topics ranging from improv and creating challenges to managing conflicts at the table.

In response, the coordinators began designing a systematic approach to answer these inquiries, which led to the establishment of the Dungeon Master Academy. The debut workshop is planned for January 2-3, 2026 at an Atlanta campus.

“You can watch countless online tutorials on virtually any subject and learn quite a lot, but the idea was that there’s just no substitute face-to-face interaction together with peers in game mastering, where there’s live engagement with expert teachers and your peers who are probably in a similar position and also want to level up their game,” explained the dean of Dungeon Master University.

Course Offerings and Pricing Tiers

DMs can choose from tiers ranging from just under $1,000 to $2.5K, based on the amount of contact they desire with the professionals. The entry-level option includes selection from four classes:

• Core Techniques: Focuses on the essentials of managing a session.
• Story Arc Development: Focuses around designing extended campaigns.
• Worldbuilding: Concentrates on the development of worlds.
• Career Building: Designed for DMs who seek to understand more about the gaming industry.

Every class includes two days of training spread over 48 hours.

“The courses are designed so that you walk away with immediate practical outcomes, probably greater confidence, and many practical techniques,” Carl noted. “It's more than presentations and they go beyond recorded content. These are sessions that you can join, learn from, and then head back to your table the next week and implement in your regular session.”

Expert Instructors

The majority of workshops are instructed by duo of instructors. Worldbuilding is guided by the founder of Monte Cook Games and Keith Baker, both teaching the craft of setting creation.

Career building presents several experts, such as a puzzle design specialist, Clint McElroy, and an early professional game master. The additional faculty is intended to deliver focused advice to participants with particular aims.

“Some of them want to launch their own live gameplay show and display their adventures with the world, others aim to release and write original content,” Carl said. “Others simply wish to ask, What's the path to be a DM at an event like D&D in a Castle? Which abilities that I need? Is this achievable?”

Advanced Options

A fifteen hundred dollar enhanced option includes access to a opening gathering, a welcome gift pack, and a half-hour consultation appointment with a teacher. This represents the inaugural DMU session, though the organizers has previously run Castle Days during breaks between adventures at their premium gatherings.

“You could almost run an complete event just on consultation sessions for expert DMs,” Carl said. “I'm not certain if that’s the best use of each attendee's hours – I think the coursework and the practical exercises is highly beneficial – but I believe it’s going to be among the most sought-after parts of the program.”

The $2,500 platinum tier offers an hour of one-on-one time and the chance to lead a session for several participants plus one of the faculty members, who will then provide notes and guidance.

“The purpose is for the instructor to evaluate whichever aspect is concerned with: I have difficulty with improvisation or I feel stuck in this kind of combat situation. Can I run a scene for you and obtain advice on where I excel and need improvement?” Carl detailed. “Perhaps they want to receive input and guidance on a specific world that they’ve been developing.”

Future Plans

Feedback from the debut workshop will help shape future Dungeon Master University sessions. Carl suggested that possible changes could include increasing consultation time, lengthening the event to 72 hours, or testing different seminar structures.

“I hope that we conduct these regularly,” Carl stated. “I truly hope to see several DMU sessions in a given year, in various locations, and in different countries. The response has been overwhelmingly favorable. We’re very happy with what we’re seeing and I think it would be amazing to be able to organize these in conjunction with large gatherings.”