Monte Cook and Monte Cook Will Lead Classes at Dungeon Master University
Beginning in 2018, Tabletop Vacations has been running deeply engaging experiences where professional dungeon masters manage D&D games in old manors in the UK and at a U.S. castle resort. The comprehensive packages are highly favored among career game masters who seldom have the chance to participate as players themselves, and they often seek advice from the pros on topics ranging from improvisation and puzzle design to managing conflicts at the table.
In response, the coordinators began crafting a structured way to answer these inquiries, which led to the establishment of the Dungeon Master Academy. The first session is scheduled for the start of 2026 at an Atlanta campus.
“It's possible to view countless online tutorials on almost every theme and acquire valuable insights, but the concept was that nothing compares to face-to-face interaction alongside other dungeon masters, where there’s live engagement with faculty instructors and your fellow DMs often in comparable situations and aim to enhance their abilities,” explained Jason Carl.
Available Classes and Cost Levels
Dungeon Masters can choose from tiers ranging from just under $1,000 to two thousand five hundred dollars, depending on the level of access they desire with the experts. The entry-level option includes a choice of four workshops:
- Core Techniques: Teaches the fundamentals of running D&D.
- Campaign Building: Focuses around building persistent adventures.
- Setting Creation: Highlights the crafting of environments.
- Industry Advancement: Aimed at game masters who want to learn more about the tabletop profession.
Every class includes two days of training divided across 48 hours.
“The workshops are structured so that you walk away with usable skills, enhanced belief in your abilities, and a lot of usable tools,” Carl explained. “They’re not just lectures and they’re not just static videos. These workshops that you can join, learn from, and then return to your group the next week and implement in your home campaign.”
Professional Teachers
Most classes are instructed by two professors. Worldbuilding is taught by Monte Cook and a renowned campaign designer, jointly leading the craft of setting creation.
Industry advancement includes four different teachers, such as Elisa Teague, Clint McElroy, and a pioneering DM. The extra instructors is designed to offer targeted guidance to participants with specific goals.
“Certain participants aim to start their own real-play series and display their adventures with the world, others aim to release and write original content,” Carl stated. “Others simply wish to ask, How do I get to be a DM at a program like an immersive experience? What capabilities that I need? Is this achievable?”
Premium Packages
A fifteen hundred dollar premium package offers access to a introductory event, a welcome gift pack, and a 30-minute office hour appointment with a teacher. This represents the inaugural DMU session, though the organizers has previously run similar events 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 observed. “It's unclear if that’s the optimal application of everybody’s time – In my opinion the structured learning and the practical exercises is too valuable – but I suspect it’s going to be one of the most popular parts of the program.”
The $2.5K premium option includes an extended personal consultation and the possibility to manage an adventure for five players plus one of the faculty members, who will then provide notes and guidance.
“The goal is for the faculty member to review whichever aspect is concerned with: I have difficulty with improvisation or I get blocked in specific fight encounters. Could I demonstrate a situation for you and get feedback on my areas of proficiency and challenge?” Carl detailed. “Or maybe they want to obtain critique and information on a particular setting that they’ve been building.”
Next Steps
Input from the inaugural session will help determine future Dungeon Master University sessions. Carl said that possible changes could include adding more office hours, lengthening the event to 72 hours, or testing alternative workshop formats.
“I hope that we do this regularly,” Carl said. “I truly hope to see several DMU sessions in a calendar year, in different cities, and in different 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 do this in conjunction with large gatherings.”
