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

Since 2018, a specialized event organizer has been running deeply engaging experiences where expert DMs lead D&D games in ancient fortresses in Britain and at Landoll’s Mohican Castle. The full-service getaways are especially popular among career game masters who seldom have the moment to join in the game themselves, and they often look for guidance from seasoned professionals on topics ranging from spontaneous storytelling and crafting riddles to dealing with tough scenarios at the table.

In response, the organizers began designing a structured way to answer these inquiries, which led to the establishment of DMU. The first session is planned for January 2-3, 2026 at a university in Atlanta.

“There are countless online tutorials on any topic and acquire valuable insights, but the philosophy was that there’s just no substitute an in-person experience in the company of fellow DMs, where there’s live engagement with faculty instructors and other game masters likely in the same boat and also want to improve their skills,” explained the dean of Dungeon Master University.

Available Classes and Ticket Packages

Dungeon Masters can choose from packages ranging from nearly a thousand dollars to two thousand five hundred dollars, depending on the amount of contact they desire with the professionals. The starting package includes one of four courses:

• Foundational Skills: Teaches the basics of running D&D.
• Story Arc Development: Is dedicated to building persistent adventures.
• Worldbuilding: Concentrates on the development of worlds.
• Industry Advancement: Aimed at DMs who want to learn more about the tabletop profession.

All workshops includes two days of instruction spread over a weekend.

“The classes are designed so that you walk away with usable skills, increased self-assurance, and a lot of usable tools,” Carl noted. “They’re not just lectures and they’re not just static videos. These are sessions that you can join, absorb insights from, and then go right back home the following week and apply in your local game.”

Seasoned Educators

The majority of workshops are instructed by duo of instructors. Universe creation is taught by the founder of Monte Cook Games and the creator of Eberron, both teaching the skill of universe design.

Career building features multiple instructors, such as a puzzle design specialist, an entertainment professional, and a pioneering DM. The extra instructors is intended to deliver focused advice to participants with particular aims.

“Various attendees aim to start their own live gameplay show and present their narratives with the world, some of them plan to produce and create new material,” Carl said. “Some just want to ask, How do I get to be a DM at a program like an immersive experience? Which abilities that I need? Can anyone do it?”

Higher Tiers

A $1,500 enhanced option offers access to a welcome reception, a starter kit, and a half-hour consultation appointment with a teacher. This constitutes the debut of the program, though the team has previously run Castle Days during breaks between adventures at their immersive experiences.

“You could almost run an entire weekend just on consultation sessions for career game masters,” Carl said. “I don’t know if that’s the optimal application of each attendee's hours – I believe the formal instruction and the hands-on activities is extremely important – but I suspect it’s going to be a highly favored parts of the program.”

The $2,500 premium option includes an 60-minute private session and the opportunity to lead a session for several participants plus a teacher, who will then offer feedback and instruction.

“The goal is for the faculty member to evaluate any element is focused on: Hey I don’t do well with improvisation or I encounter obstacles in certain battle scenarios. Could I demonstrate a situation for you and get feedback on what my strengths and weaknesses are?” Carl detailed. “Perhaps they want to receive input and guidance on a particular setting that they’ve been creating.”

Future Plans

Input from the debut workshop will help shape future Dungeon Master University sessions. Carl said that possible changes could include increasing consultation time, extending the program to a longer period, or testing different seminar structures.

“I hope that we do this regularly,” Carl expressed. “I truly hope to see several DMU sessions in a given year, in multiple places, and in different countries. The feedback has been really terrific. We're extremely satisfied with what we’re seeing and I feel it would be fantastic to be able to do this in collaboration with major events.”