Monte Cook and Keith Baker Are Instructing Sessions at Dungeon Master University

Since 2018, a specialized event organizer has been hosting immersive events where professional dungeon masters lead Dungeons & Dragons games in old manors in Britain and at an American castle venue. These all-inclusive trips are highly favored among long-time dungeon masters who infrequently find the chance to participate as players themselves, and they often seek advice from the pros on topics ranging from improv and creating challenges to managing conflicts at the table.

In response, the organizers began designing a structured way to address these questions, which led to the establishment of DMU. The debut workshop is planned for January 2-3, 2026 at a university in Atlanta.

“It's possible to view numerous digital guides on any topic and learn quite a lot, but the philosophy was that there’s just no substitute an in-person experience alongside fellow DMs, where real-time interaction with faculty instructors and other game masters who are probably in the same boat and also want to level up their game,” explained Jason Carl.

Course Offerings and Ticket Packages

Dungeon Masters can select tiers ranging from just under $1,000 to $2.5K, according to the level of access they desire with the professionals. The entry-level option includes a choice of four workshops:

• Skill Building: Teaches the essentials of managing a session.
• Story Arc Development: Centers on building persistent adventures.
• Worldbuilding: Emphasizes the art of setting design.
• Career Building: Designed for game masters who want to learn more about the gaming industry.

Each course includes multiple sessions of classwork spread over two days.

“The classes are created so that you leave with usable skills, probably greater confidence, and a lot of usable tools,” Carl said. “They’re not just lectures and they’re not just static videos. These classes that you can participate in, absorb insights from, and then head back to your table the next week and implement in your local game.”

Seasoned Educators

Most classes are instructed by a pair of experts. Worldbuilding is guided by an industry veteran and a renowned campaign designer, jointly leading the art of worldbuilding.

Industry advancement presents several experts, such as a puzzle design specialist, an entertainment professional, and an early professional game master. The expanded teaching staff is designed to offer targeted guidance to students with definite objectives.

“Some of them plan to create their own D&D actual play and display their adventures with the world, some of them want to publish and write original content,” Carl explained. “Others simply wish to ask, What's the path to be a DM at an event like an immersive experience? Which abilities that I need? Can anyone do it?”

Advanced Options

A $1.5K gold tier provides access to a introductory event, a starter kit, and a half-hour consultation appointment with one of the faculty. This marks the inaugural DMU session, though the organizers has previously run comparable workshops during breaks between game sessions at their premium gatherings.

“One could practically host an entire weekend just on one-on-one meetings for expert DMs,” Carl said. “I'm not certain if that’s the optimal application of all participants' schedule – I believe the structured learning and the hands-on activities is too valuable – but I suspect it’s going to be a highly favored parts of the program.”

The $2.5K top package includes an 60-minute private session and the opportunity to manage an adventure for five players plus an instructor, who will then offer feedback and coaching.

“The purpose is for the teacher to review any element is interested in: I struggle with spontaneous decisions or I feel stuck in this kind of combat situation. May I present a situation for you and obtain advice on what my strengths and weaknesses are?” Carl detailed. “Or maybe they want to obtain critique and information on a particular setting that they’ve been creating.”

Next Steps

Feedback from the inaugural session will help shape future Dungeon Master University sessions. Carl said that potential adjustments could include increasing consultation time, lengthening the event to 72 hours, or experimenting with varied class arrangements.

“I anticipate that we do this very often,” Carl stated. “I truly hope to see several DMU sessions in a single year, in different cities, and in different countries. The response has been really terrific. We're extremely satisfied with current developments and I think it would be wonderful to be able to organize these in collaboration with major events.”