Monte Cook along with Monte Cook Are Instructing Sessions at Dungeon Master University

Beginning in 2018, a specialized event organizer has been organizing deeply engaging experiences where expert DMs manage Dungeons & Dragons games in historic castles in Britain and at an American castle venue. The comprehensive packages are widely appreciated among long-time dungeon masters who infrequently find the moment to actually play themselves, and they often seek advice from the pros on topics ranging from improv and puzzle design to handling difficult situations at the table.

In response, the planners began designing a structured way to answer these inquiries, which led to the creation of DMU. The debut workshop is set for early January 2026 at a university in Atlanta.

“There are countless online tutorials on any topic and acquire valuable insights, but the philosophy was that nothing compares to face-to-face interaction in the company of peers in game mastering, where there’s live engagement with seasoned educators and other game masters who are probably in comparable situations and seek to enhance their abilities,” noted the program's dean.

Available Classes and Ticket Packages

Dungeon Masters can opt for packages ranging from nearly a thousand dollars to $2,500, depending on the amount of contact they desire with the professionals. The starting package includes a choice of four workshops:

• Core Techniques: Covers the essentials of managing a session.
• Long-Term Game Planning: Is dedicated to building persistent adventures.
• Universe Design: Concentrates on the art of setting design.
• Career Building: Designed for game masters who seek to understand more about the tabletop profession.

All workshops includes multiple sessions of training spread over 48 hours.

“The courses are created so that you depart having usable skills, increased self-assurance, and many practical techniques,” Carl said. “They’re not just lectures and they go beyond recorded content. These are sessions that you can attend, gain knowledge from, and then head back to your table the following week and implement in your home campaign.”

Expert Instructors

Most classes are instructed by two professors. Setting design is taught by the founder of Monte Cook Games and a renowned campaign designer, both teaching the art of worldbuilding.

Industry advancement includes four different teachers, such as an author on gaming puzzles, Clint McElroy, and Hunter Fell. The extra instructors is designed to provide specialized information to attendees with definite objectives.

“Various attendees aim to start their own D&D actual play and share their stories with the world, some of them plan to produce and develop fresh ideas,” Carl said. “Several only seek to ask, How do I get to be a DM at a program like D&D in a Castle? What are the skills that I need? Is it for everyone?”

Advanced Options

A $1,500 premium package offers access to a introductory event, a welcome gift pack, and a half-hour consultation appointment with an instructor. This marks the first Dungeon Master Academy, though the company has previously run Castle Days during breaks between game sessions at their immersive experiences.

“You could almost run an full two days just on one-on-one meetings for professional dungeon masters,” Carl observed. “I don’t know if that’s the best use of all participants' schedule – I believe the coursework and the practical exercises is too valuable – but I believe it’s going to be among the most sought-after parts of the program.”

The twenty-five hundred dollar platinum tier offers an hour of one-on-one time and the chance to run a game for several participants plus one of the faculty members, who will then give comments and instruction.

“The purpose is for the faculty member to assess whatever the DM is concerned with: I have difficulty with spontaneous decisions or I encounter obstacles in this kind of combat situation. Can I run a situation for you and get feedback on what my strengths and weaknesses are?” Carl explained. “Or maybe they want to receive input and guidance on a definite universe that they’ve been developing.”

Future Plans

Responses from the first event will help shape upcoming academy workshops. Carl mentioned that potential adjustments could include increasing consultation time, lengthening the event to a longer period, or experimenting with different seminar structures.

“I anticipate that we conduct these regularly,” Carl expressed. “I really want to see multiple Dungeon Master Universities in a single year, in multiple places, and in multiple countries. The feedback has been really terrific. We're quite pleased with the results so far and I believe it would be amazing to be able to conduct this in conjunction with large gatherings.”