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

Since 2018, Tabletop Vacations has been running deeply engaging experiences where expert DMs run Dungeons & Dragons games in old manors in the UK and at an American castle venue. The comprehensive packages are highly favored among career game masters who seldom have the opportunity to participate as players themselves, and they often seek advice from seasoned professionals on topics ranging from spontaneous storytelling and puzzle design to handling difficult situations at the table.

In response, the organizers began crafting a organized method to answer these inquiries, which led to the creation of DMU. The inaugural event is scheduled for the start of 2026 at an Atlanta campus.

“It's possible to view countless online tutorials on almost every theme and gain significant knowledge, but the philosophy was that nothing truly replaces an in-person experience alongside other dungeon masters, where real-time interaction with seasoned educators and other game masters who are probably in a similar position and seek to level up their game,” noted the dean of Dungeon Master University.

Available Classes and Ticket Packages

Game masters can select packages ranging from $995 to two thousand five hundred dollars, according to the degree of interaction they desire with the professionals. The entry-level option includes one of four courses:

• Foundational Skills: Focuses on the essentials of leading a game.
• Campaign Building: Centers on building persistent adventures.
• Worldbuilding: Highlights the art of setting design.
• Professional Development: Aimed at DMs who aim to explore more about the tabletop profession.

Each course includes eight hours of instruction divided across two days.

“The workshops are created so that you leave with usable skills, enhanced belief in your abilities, and a lot of usable tools,” Carl explained. “These aren't simple talks and they’re not just static videos. These workshops that you can attend, learn from, and then go right back home the week after and put into practice in your regular session.”

Professional Teachers

Many sessions are led by duo of instructors. Worldbuilding is led by Monte Cook and the creator of Eberron, together instructing the craft of setting creation.

Professional development features several experts, such as an author on gaming puzzles, Clint McElroy, and an early professional game master. The additional faculty is meant to offer targeted guidance to students with specific goals.

“Some of them aim to start their own D&D actual play and display their adventures with the world, others plan to produce and create new material,” Carl stated. “Some just want to ask, How do I get to be a DM at something like D&D in a Castle? What capabilities that I need? Is this achievable?”

Advanced Options

A fifteen hundred dollar enhanced option provides access to a introductory event, a welcome gift pack, and a 30-minute office hour appointment with one of the faculty. This represents the first Dungeon Master Academy, though the organizers has previously run similar events during breaks between game sessions at their immersive experiences.

“It would be possible to organize an full two days just on one-on-one meetings for professional dungeon masters,” Carl observed. “I don’t know if that’s the optimal application of each attendee's hours – I think the structured learning 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 platinum tier offers an extended personal consultation and the opportunity to lead a session for five players plus one of the faculty members, who will then offer feedback and guidance.

“The purpose is for the faculty member to assess any element is concerned with: Hey I don’t do well with improvisation or I get blocked in certain battle scenarios. May I present a scene for you and obtain advice on what my strengths and weaknesses are?” Carl explained. “Alternatively they want to get feedback and information on a specific world that they’ve been developing.”

Coming Developments

Feedback from the first event will help shape upcoming academy workshops. Carl mentioned that possible changes could include increasing consultation time, making it longer to a longer period, or trying out alternative workshop formats.

“I hope that we host such events frequently,” Carl stated. “I truly hope to see multiple Dungeon Master Universities in a single year, in different cities, and in multiple countries. The response has been extremely positive. We're quite pleased with current developments and I feel it would be amazing to be able to do this in collaboration with major events.”