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

Beginning in 2018, Tabletop Vacations has been organizing deeply engaging experiences where experienced game masters run D&D 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 join in the game themselves, and they often ask for tips from seasoned professionals on topics ranging from spontaneous storytelling and puzzle design to handling difficult situations at the table.

In response, the planners began crafting a systematic approach to tackle these topics, which led to the establishment of Dungeon Master University. The first session is scheduled for January 2-3, 2026 at Oglethorpe University.

“You can watch numerous digital guides on any topic and gain significant knowledge, but the philosophy was that there’s just no substitute face-to-face interaction alongside peers in game mastering, where there’s live engagement with faculty instructors and other game masters likely in comparable situations and seek to level up their game,” noted the dean of Dungeon Master University.

Available Classes and Pricing Tiers

Game masters can select options ranging from nearly a thousand dollars to $2.5K, depending on the level of access they desire with the instructors. The base tier includes a choice of four workshops:

• Skill Building: Focuses on the fundamentals of leading a game.
• Story Arc Development: Is dedicated to designing extended campaigns.
• Worldbuilding: Highlights the development of worlds.
• Professional Development: Designed for DMs who aim to explore more about the tabletop profession.

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

“The classes are created so that you walk away with immediate practical outcomes, increased self-assurance, and numerous applicable methods,” Carl noted. “They’re not just lectures and they go beyond recorded content. These classes that you can attend, gain knowledge from, and then return to your group the next week and put into practice in your local game.”

Seasoned Educators

Most classes are led by duo of instructors. Worldbuilding is taught by Monte Cook and a renowned campaign designer, together instructing the art of worldbuilding.

Professional development features four different teachers, such as Elisa Teague, an entertainment professional, and a pioneering DM. The extra instructors is designed to offer targeted guidance to students with particular aims.

“Some of them plan to create their own real-play series and share their stories with the world, some of them aim to release and create new material,” Carl stated. “Others simply wish to ask, What does it take to be a DM at something like a castle event? What are the skills that I need? Is it for everyone?”

Advanced Options

A $1,500 premium package includes access to a welcome reception, a welcome gift pack, and a brief one-on-one appointment with an instructor. This marks the inaugural DMU session, though the company has previously run comparable workshops during breaks between campaigns at their castle events.

“You could almost run an full two days just on consultation sessions for expert DMs,” Carl mentioned. “It's unclear if that’s the most effective utilization of each attendee's hours – I think the formal instruction and the practical exercises is extremely important – but I believe it’s going to be among the most sought-after parts of the program.”

The $2.5K top package provides an hour of one-on-one time and the chance to run a game for five players plus an instructor, who will then provide notes and instruction.

“The aim is for the teacher to review any element is concerned with: I struggle with spontaneous decisions or I feel stuck in certain battle scenarios. Could I demonstrate a scene for you and get feedback on what my strengths and weaknesses are?” Carl said. “Or maybe they want to obtain critique and guidance on a particular setting that they’ve been developing.”

Future Plans

Responses from the debut workshop will help shape subsequent DMU events. Carl suggested that possible changes could include increasing consultation time, extending the program to three days, or trying out different seminar structures.

“I hope that we conduct these regularly,” Carl stated. “I would love to see numerous academy events in a given year, in various locations, and in different countries. The response has been overwhelmingly favorable. We're quite pleased with what we’re seeing and I believe it would be amazing to be able to conduct this in partnership with large gatherings.”