Keith Baker along with Monte Cook Will Lead Sessions at DMU

Beginning in 2018, Tabletop Vacations has been organizing deeply engaging experiences where expert DMs manage fantasy roleplaying games in ancient fortresses in England and at a U.S. castle resort. The full-service getaways are especially popular among forever DMs who rarely get the moment to join in the game themselves, and they often ask for tips from the pros on topics ranging from improv and puzzle design to handling difficult situations at the table.

In response, the planners began developing a organized method to answer these inquiries, which led to the founding of DMU. The first session is planned for the start of 2026 at a university in Atlanta.

“You can watch thousands of YouTube videos on almost every theme and acquire valuable insights, but the philosophy was that nothing compares to a live, hands-on session together with peers in game mastering, where real-time interaction with faculty instructors and your fellow DMs likely in comparable situations and also want to enhance their abilities,” stated the dean of Dungeon Master University.

Available Classes and Cost Levels

Game masters can choose from options ranging from just under $1,000 to $2,500, depending on the degree of interaction they desire with the experts. The base tier includes a choice of four workshops:

• Foundational Skills: Covers the essentials of managing a session.
• Story Arc Development: Focuses around building persistent adventures.
• Worldbuilding: Highlights the development of worlds.
• Industry Advancement: Tailored to game masters who aim to explore more about the tabletop profession.

All workshops includes eight hours of instruction spread over a weekend.

“The workshops are created so that you leave with immediate practical outcomes, probably greater confidence, and many practical techniques,” Carl explained. “They’re not just lectures and they exceed pre-recorded material. These are sessions that you can attend, gain knowledge from, and then go right back home the next week and apply in your home campaign.”

Expert Instructors

The majority of workshops are instructed by a pair of experts. Setting design is guided by the founder of Monte Cook Games and Keith Baker, both teaching the skill of universe design.

Industry advancement features several experts, such as Elisa Teague, an entertainment professional, and an early professional game master. The extra instructors is intended to deliver focused advice to attendees with specific goals.

“Certain participants want to launch their own D&D actual play and display their adventures with the world, several aim to release and develop fresh ideas,” Carl said. “Others simply wish to ask, What does it take to be a DM at something like a castle event? Which abilities that I need? Is it for everyone?”

Higher Tiers

A fifteen hundred dollar gold tier offers access to a opening gathering, a starter kit, and a half-hour consultation appointment with an instructor. This marks the debut of the program, though the organizers has previously run similar events during breaks between game sessions at their premium gatherings.

“It would be possible to organize an entire weekend just on one-on-one meetings for professional dungeon masters,” Carl said. “I don’t know if that’s the best use of each attendee's hours – I think the structured learning and the lab work is extremely important – but I think 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 lead a session for several participants plus an instructor, who will then provide notes and coaching.

“The aim is for the teacher to assess any element is concerned with: I struggle with spontaneous decisions or I encounter obstacles in certain battle scenarios. May I present a scene for you and receive input on where I excel and need improvement?” Carl detailed. “Perhaps they want to obtain critique and information on a definite universe that they’ve been developing.”

Future Plans

Responses from the first event will help guide subsequent DMU events. Carl said that possible changes could include expanding one-on-one sessions, extending the program to 72 hours, or testing different seminar structures.

“I hope that we conduct these very often,” Carl said. “I really want to see several DMU sessions in a calendar year, in different cities, and in different countries. The feedback has been extremely positive. We're quite pleased with what we’re seeing and I feel it would be amazing to be able to organize these in partnership with large gatherings.”