Keith Baker and Monte Cook Will Lead Classes at Dungeon Master Academy

Beginning in 2018, Tabletop Vacations has been running immersive events where experienced game masters lead fantasy roleplaying games in historic castles in the UK and at Landoll’s Mohican Castle. The comprehensive packages are highly favored among forever DMs who seldom have the opportunity to participate as players themselves, and they often look for guidance from seasoned professionals on topics ranging from improvisation and crafting riddles to dealing with tough scenarios at the table.

In response, the planners began developing a structured way to address these questions, which led to the establishment of Dungeon Master University. The first session is planned for the start of 2026 at a university in Atlanta.

“It's possible to view thousands of YouTube videos on any topic and acquire valuable insights, but the concept was that there’s just no substitute an in-person experience in the company of peers in game mastering, where real-time interaction with expert teachers and your fellow DMs likely in the same boat and seek to level up their game,” explained Jason Carl.

Available Classes and Ticket Packages

DMs can select tiers ranging from $995 to two thousand five hundred dollars, according to the level of access they desire with the professionals. The entry-level option includes one of four courses:

• Foundational Skills: Focuses on the fundamentals of running D&D.
• Campaign Building: Focuses around designing extended campaigns.
• Setting Creation: Concentrates on the development of worlds.
• Industry Advancement: Tailored to DMs who aim to explore more about the roleplaying business.

Every class includes multiple sessions of classwork divided across two days.

“The classes are created so that you depart having tangible results, increased self-assurance, and numerous applicable methods,” Carl said. “It's more than presentations and they go beyond recorded content. These are sessions that you can join, absorb insights from, and then head back to your table the next week and apply in your regular session.”

Seasoned Educators

Many sessions are taught by two professors. Worldbuilding is guided by an industry veteran and a renowned campaign designer, jointly leading the skill of universe design.

Professional development presents several experts, such as an author on gaming puzzles, an entertainment professional, and an early professional game master. The expanded teaching staff is designed to deliver focused advice to attendees with definite objectives.

“Certain participants want to launch their own D&D actual play and display their adventures with the world, others plan to produce and develop fresh ideas,” Carl said. “Others simply wish to ask, What's the path to be a DM at a program like an immersive experience? What capabilities that I need? Is it for everyone?”

Advanced Options

A $1.5K premium package provides access to a welcome reception, a starter kit, and a half-hour consultation appointment with an instructor. This represents the inaugural DMU session, though the company has previously run comparable workshops during breaks between game sessions at their immersive experiences.

“It would be possible to organize an full two days just on consultation sessions for career game masters,” Carl observed. “It's unclear if that’s the most effective utilization of all participants' schedule – I think the formal instruction and the hands-on activities is too valuable – but I think it’s going to be among the most sought-after parts of the program.”

The twenty-five hundred dollar premium option includes an hour of one-on-one time and the chance to run a game for a small group plus a teacher, who will then give comments and coaching.

“The purpose is for the teacher to evaluate whichever aspect is interested in: Hey I don’t do well with improv or I get blocked in certain battle scenarios. Could I demonstrate a scene for you and obtain advice on where I excel and need improvement?” Carl detailed. “Alternatively they want to get feedback and information on a definite universe that they’ve been developing.”

Next Steps

Feedback from the first event will help determine subsequent DMU events. Carl suggested that likely modifications could include expanding one-on-one sessions, making it longer to three days, or trying out varied class arrangements.

“I hope that we conduct these very often,” Carl expressed. “I really want to see multiple Dungeon Master Universities in a given year, in different cities, and in multiple countries. The feedback has been overwhelmingly favorable. We're extremely satisfied with the results so far and I think it would be wonderful to be able to conduct this in partnership with major events.”