Keith Baker and Monte Cook Will Lead Sessions at Dungeon Master University

Beginning in 2018, a specialized event organizer has been running immersive events where experienced game masters lead D&D games in historic castles in England and at an American castle venue. The comprehensive packages are especially popular among forever DMs who seldom have 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 organizers began crafting a structured way to address these questions, which led to the establishment of the Dungeon Master Academy. The inaugural event is scheduled for early January 2026 at an Atlanta campus.

“It's possible to view numerous digital guides on almost every theme and learn quite a lot, but the idea was that nothing compares to an in-person experience in the company of peers in game mastering, where real-time interaction with seasoned educators and your peers who are probably in the same boat and also want to level up their game,” explained the dean of Dungeon Master University.

Workshop Options and Ticket Packages

DMs can select tiers ranging from nearly a thousand dollars to $2,500, based on the degree of interaction they desire with the experts. The base tier includes a choice of four workshops:

• Skill Building: Focuses on the fundamentals of managing a session.
• Story Arc Development: Is dedicated to crafting long-running games.
• Universe Design: Highlights the art of setting design.
• Professional Development: Aimed at dungeon masters who seek to understand more about the gaming industry.

All workshops includes eight hours of instruction split over 48 hours.

“The workshops are designed so that you walk away with tangible results, enhanced belief in your abilities, and many practical techniques,” Carl said. “It's more than presentations and they go beyond recorded content. These workshops that you can attend, gain knowledge from, and then return to your group the week after and put into practice in your home campaign.”

Seasoned Educators

Most classes are instructed by duo of instructors. Worldbuilding is taught by an industry veteran and a renowned campaign designer, jointly leading the craft of setting creation.

Professional development features four different teachers, such as a puzzle design specialist, Clint McElroy, and a pioneering DM. The extra instructors is designed to deliver focused advice to students with definite objectives.

“Various attendees plan to create their own live gameplay show and present their narratives with the world, several want to publish and write original content,” Carl said. “Others simply wish to ask, What does it take to be a DM at something like a castle event? What capabilities that I need? Is this achievable?”

Higher Tiers

A fifteen hundred dollar gold tier includes access to a introductory event, a welcome gift pack, and a 30-minute office hour appointment with an instructor. This represents the debut of the program, though the team has previously run Castle Days during breaks between adventures at their premium gatherings.

“You could almost run an full two days just on office hours for expert DMs,” Carl said. “I don’t know if that’s the best use of everybody’s time – In my opinion the structured learning and the hands-on activities is highly beneficial – but I believe it’s going to be one of the most popular parts of the program.”

The twenty-five hundred dollar platinum tier includes an extended personal consultation and the opportunity to lead a session for several participants plus an instructor, who will then give comments and instruction.

“The goal is for the instructor to assess whichever aspect is concerned with: I have difficulty with improvisation or I encounter obstacles in this kind of combat situation. Could I demonstrate a situation for you and obtain advice on where I excel and need improvement?” Carl explained. “Or maybe they want to obtain critique and advice on a specific world that they’ve been creating.”

Future Plans

Input from the first event will help determine subsequent DMU events. Carl suggested that likely modifications could include adding more office hours, making it longer to 72 hours, or trying out different seminar structures.

“I anticipate that we host such events frequently,” Carl said. “I would love to see multiple Dungeon Master Universities in a given year, in various locations, and in various nations. The reception has been extremely positive. We're quite pleased with current developments and I think it would be fantastic to be able to conduct this in collaboration with major events.”