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

Beginning in 2018, Tabletop Vacations has been organizing immersive events where expert DMs run D&D games in old manors in the UK and at Landoll’s Mohican Castle. These all-inclusive trips are widely appreciated among career game masters who seldom have the chance to participate as players themselves, and they often ask for tips from the pros on topics ranging from improv and puzzle design to managing conflicts at the table.

In response, the planners began crafting a structured way to tackle these topics, which led to the establishment of DMU. The first session is scheduled for early January 2026 at a university in Atlanta.

“There are countless online tutorials on almost every theme and acquire valuable insights, but the philosophy was that there’s just no substitute face-to-face interaction alongside peers in game mastering, where direct communication with seasoned educators and your fellow DMs likely in comparable situations and also want to improve their skills,” stated the program's dean.

Available Classes and Cost Levels

Dungeon Masters can choose from options ranging from just under $1,000 to $2.5K, depending on the level of access they desire with the professionals. The entry-level option includes selection from four classes:

• Foundational Skills: Teaches the essentials of managing a session.
• Campaign Building: Focuses around designing extended campaigns.
• Worldbuilding: Concentrates on the crafting of environments.
• Professional Development: Designed for dungeon masters who seek to understand more about the roleplaying business.

Every class includes eight hours of classwork spread over 48 hours.

“The courses are designed so that you walk away with immediate practical outcomes, enhanced belief in your abilities, and many practical techniques,” Carl said. “They’re not just lectures and they go beyond recorded content. These classes that you can attend, learn from, and then return to your group the next week and implement in your home campaign.”

Professional Teachers

Most classes are led by two professors. Setting design is taught by the founder of Monte Cook Games and Keith Baker, jointly leading the art of worldbuilding.

Professional development features multiple instructors, such as an author on gaming puzzles, an entertainment professional, and Hunter Fell. The additional faculty is intended to deliver focused advice to attendees with specific goals.

“Some of them plan to create their own real-play series and present their narratives with the world, some of them plan to produce and write original content,” Carl stated. “Others simply wish to ask, How do I get to be a DM at an event like a castle event? What capabilities that I need? Can anyone do it?”

Advanced Options

A $1.5K gold tier offers access to a introductory event, a starter kit, and a brief one-on-one appointment with an instructor. This represents the inaugural DMU session, though the team has previously run comparable workshops during breaks between game sessions at their castle events.

“You could almost run an full two days just on one-on-one meetings for expert DMs,” Carl said. “I don’t know if that’s the most effective utilization of all participants' schedule – I think the coursework and the practical exercises is extremely important – but I think it’s going to be one of the most popular parts of the program.”

The $2,500 platinum tier includes an hour of one-on-one time and the chance to run a game for several participants plus an instructor, who will then provide notes and coaching.

“The purpose is for the instructor to evaluate any element is focused on: I have difficulty with improvisation or I get blocked in specific fight encounters. May I present a situation for you and obtain advice on what my strengths and weaknesses are?” Carl explained. “Alternatively they want to obtain critique and advice on a definite universe that they’ve been creating.”

Coming Developments

Feedback from the first event will help determine upcoming academy workshops. Carl mentioned that potential adjustments could include expanding one-on-one sessions, making it longer to 72 hours, or trying out varied class arrangements.

“I hope that we host such events very often,” Carl stated. “I would love to see numerous academy events in a single year, in various locations, and in different countries. The reception has been extremely positive. We're quite pleased with current developments and I think it would be wonderful to be able to do this in collaboration with major events.”