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

Beginning in 2018, a specialized event organizer has been running deeply engaging experiences where professional dungeon masters lead Dungeons & Dragons games in historic castles in the UK and at Landoll’s Mohican Castle. The comprehensive packages are especially popular among career game masters who seldom have the opportunity to join in the game themselves, and they often look for guidance from experts on topics ranging from spontaneous storytelling and creating challenges to handling difficult situations at the table.

In response, the planners began crafting a structured way to answer these inquiries, which led to the establishment of DMU. The first session is set for early January 2026 at a university in Atlanta.

“You can watch countless online tutorials on virtually any subject and gain significant knowledge, but the idea was that nothing truly replaces a live, hands-on session alongside other dungeon masters, where real-time interaction with faculty instructors and your fellow DMs often in a similar position and aim to level up their game,” stated the dean of Dungeon Master University.

Course Offerings and Ticket Packages

Game masters can opt for options ranging from nearly a thousand dollars to $2.5K, according to the level of access they desire with the instructors. The entry-level option includes selection from four classes:

• Foundational Skills: Teaches the basics of running D&D.
• Long-Term Game Planning: Focuses around designing extended campaigns.
• Universe Design: Highlights the art of setting design.
• Career Building: Tailored to DMs who aim to explore more about the gaming industry.

Each course includes multiple sessions of instruction split over a weekend.

“The workshops are designed so that you walk away with usable skills, probably greater confidence, and numerous applicable methods,” Carl explained. “They’re not just lectures and they exceed pre-recorded material. These workshops that you can participate in, absorb insights from, and then head back to your table the week after and implement in your local game.”

Seasoned Educators

The majority of workshops are led by a pair of experts. Universe creation is led by Monte Cook and Keith Baker, together instructing the art of worldbuilding.

Professional development features four different teachers, such as a puzzle design specialist, an entertainment professional, and Hunter Fell. The additional faculty is designed to offer targeted guidance to participants with specific goals.

“Certain participants want to launch their own D&D actual play and present their narratives with the world, some of them plan to produce and develop fresh ideas,” Carl explained. “Others simply wish to ask, What's the path to be a DM at a program like D&D in a Castle? Which abilities that I need? Is it for everyone?”

Advanced Options

A $1.5K enhanced option includes access to a opening gathering, a introductory package, and a 30-minute office hour appointment with an instructor. This marks the debut of the program, though the organizers has previously run Castle Days during breaks between adventures at their immersive experiences.

“One could practically host an full two days just on office hours for expert DMs,” Carl mentioned. “It's unclear if that’s the best use of each attendee's hours – I believe the coursework and the practical exercises is extremely important – but I think it’s going to be a highly favored parts of the program.”

The $2.5K top package provides an extended personal consultation and the opportunity to manage an adventure for five players plus an instructor, who will then provide notes and instruction.

“The aim is for the teacher to review whatever the DM is concerned with: I struggle with spontaneous decisions or I feel stuck in certain battle scenarios. Can I run a scenario for you and get feedback on what my strengths and weaknesses are?” Carl said. “Perhaps they want to get feedback and advice on a specific world that they’ve been developing.”

Next Steps

Responses from the first event will help guide future Dungeon Master University sessions. Carl suggested that potential adjustments could include increasing consultation time, extending the program to a longer period, or testing different seminar structures.

“I hope that we host such events very often,” Carl said. “I really want to see numerous academy events in a single year, in various locations, and in different countries. The reception has been really terrific. We're quite pleased with the results so far and I think it would be wonderful to be able to organize these in collaboration with large gatherings.”