Monte Cook and Monte Cook Will Lead Classes at Dungeon Master University

Since 2018, Tabletop Vacations has been organizing immersive events where professional dungeon masters lead Dungeons & Dragons games in old manors in the UK and at a U.S. castle resort. The full-service getaways are widely appreciated among forever DMs who infrequently find the opportunity 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 planners began developing a organized method to address these questions, which led to the creation of DMU. The first session is planned for the start of 2026 at an Atlanta campus.

“It's possible to view numerous digital guides on almost every theme and acquire valuable insights, but the concept was that nothing compares to an in-person experience in the company of peers in game mastering, where direct communication with seasoned educators and other game masters often in a similar position and aim to improve their skills,” explained the program's dean.

Workshop Options and Pricing Tiers

DMs can choose from tiers ranging from $995 to two thousand five hundred dollars, according to the level of access they desire with the instructors. The entry-level option includes one of four courses:

• Skill Building: Teaches the essentials of leading a game.
• Long-Term Game Planning: Is dedicated to designing extended campaigns.
• Setting Creation: Highlights the art of setting design.
• Professional Development: Aimed at DMs who seek to understand more about the roleplaying business.

Each course includes eight hours of instruction split over a weekend.

“The courses are created so that you leave with tangible results, increased self-assurance, and numerous applicable methods,” Carl noted. “They’re not just lectures and they exceed pre-recorded material. These workshops that you can participate in, gain knowledge from, and then return to your group the following week and put into practice in your home campaign.”

Expert Instructors

Many sessions are led by two professors. Setting design is led by the founder of Monte Cook Games and a renowned campaign designer, jointly leading the craft of setting creation.

Professional development presents several experts, such as Elisa Teague, an entertainment professional, and an early professional game master. The extra instructors is designed to offer targeted guidance to students with specific goals.

“Certain participants plan to create their own live gameplay show and present their narratives with the world, some of them aim to release and develop fresh ideas,” Carl explained. “Several only seek to ask, How do I get to be a DM at something like a castle event? What capabilities that I need? Can anyone do it?”

Premium Packages

A fifteen hundred dollar premium package provides access to a introductory event, a introductory package, and a half-hour consultation appointment with an instructor. This constitutes the debut of the program, though the team has previously run comparable workshops during breaks between game sessions at their castle events.

“One could practically host an complete event 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 coursework and the lab work is too valuable – but I suspect it’s going to be among the most sought-after parts of the program.”

The $2.5K top package offers an extended personal consultation and the possibility to run a game for several participants plus a teacher, who will then provide notes and coaching.

“The goal is for the faculty member to review whatever the DM is focused on: I have difficulty with improv or I feel stuck in certain battle scenarios. Could I demonstrate a scenario for you and receive input on where I excel and need improvement?” Carl detailed. “Perhaps they want to get feedback and information on a particular setting that they’ve been building.”

Coming Developments

Feedback from the inaugural session will help guide upcoming academy workshops. Carl suggested that potential adjustments could include adding more office hours, lengthening the event to three days, or experimenting with varied class arrangements.

“I hope that we host such events frequently,” Carl stated. “I would love to see multiple Dungeon Master Universities in a calendar year, in different cities, and in different countries. The reception has been overwhelmingly favorable. We’re very happy with current developments and I believe it would be fantastic to be able to conduct this in collaboration with large gatherings.”