Keith Baker and Monte Cook Will Lead Sessions at Dungeon Master University
Since 2018, Tabletop Vacations has been organizing deeply engaging experiences where professional dungeon masters manage Dungeons & Dragons games in ancient fortresses in Britain and at Landoll’s Mohican Castle. The comprehensive packages are widely appreciated among long-time dungeon masters who infrequently find the chance to participate as players themselves, and they often seek advice from experts on topics ranging from improv and puzzle design to handling difficult situations at the table.
In response, the coordinators began crafting a systematic approach to answer these inquiries, which led to the establishment of the Dungeon Master Academy. The inaugural event is planned for early January 2026 at Oglethorpe University.
“There are numerous digital guides on almost every theme and gain significant knowledge, but the concept was that there’s just no substitute an in-person experience together with fellow DMs, where direct communication with seasoned educators and your peers who are probably in a similar position and seek to improve their skills,” noted the program's dean.
Course Offerings and Pricing Tiers
DMs can select options ranging from $995 to two thousand five hundred dollars, depending on the degree of interaction they desire with the experts. The base tier includes one of four courses:
- Skill Building: Covers the essentials of running D&D.
- Campaign Building: Focuses around designing extended campaigns.
- Universe Design: Emphasizes the crafting of environments.
- Professional Development: Tailored to game masters who aim to explore more about the gaming industry.
All workshops includes multiple sessions of instruction split over a weekend.
“The courses are created so that you depart having usable skills, enhanced belief in your abilities, and many practical techniques,” Carl noted. “These aren't simple talks and they exceed pre-recorded material. These workshops that you can join, learn from, and then head back to your table the week after and implement in your regular session.”
Professional Teachers
Many sessions are instructed by a pair of experts. Worldbuilding is taught by the founder of Monte Cook Games and Keith Baker, jointly leading the skill of universe design.
Industry advancement includes multiple instructors, such as an author on gaming puzzles, a podcast co-host, and an early professional game master. The expanded teaching staff is designed to provide specialized information to attendees with definite objectives.
“Certain participants plan to create their own D&D actual play and present their narratives with the world, others want to publish 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? Which abilities that I need? Is this achievable?”
Advanced Options
A $1,500 gold tier provides access to a introductory event, a starter kit, and a half-hour consultation appointment with one of the faculty. This represents the first Dungeon Master Academy, though the team has previously run Castle Days during breaks between campaigns at their premium gatherings.
“You could almost run an complete event just on consultation sessions for professional dungeon masters,” Carl said. “I don’t know if that’s the optimal application of all participants' schedule – In my opinion the structured learning and the lab work is too valuable – but I think it’s going to be a highly favored parts of the program.”
The $2.5K platinum tier provides an extended personal consultation and the opportunity to lead a session for five players plus a teacher, who will then give comments and coaching.
“The aim is for the teacher to evaluate any element is focused on: I have difficulty with improv 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 explained. “Alternatively they want to receive input and advice on a specific world that they’ve been creating.”
Next Steps
Responses from the inaugural session will help guide upcoming academy workshops. Carl suggested that likely modifications could include adding more office hours, extending the program to 72 hours, or experimenting with different seminar structures.
“I hope that we host such events frequently,” Carl stated. “I really want to see several DMU sessions in a given year, in multiple places, and in multiple countries. The response has been really terrific. We're quite pleased with current developments and I think it would be wonderful to be able to organize these in collaboration with big conventions.”
