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

Beginning in 2018, a specialized event organizer has been hosting immersive events where expert DMs manage Dungeons & Dragons games in ancient fortresses in England and at a U.S. castle resort. The full-service getaways are highly favored among career game masters who infrequently find the opportunity to join in the game themselves, and they often ask for tips from seasoned professionals on topics ranging from improv and crafting riddles to handling difficult situations at the table.

In response, the organizers began crafting a structured way to answer these inquiries, which led to the establishment of Dungeon Master University. The first session is scheduled for the start of 2026 at a university in Atlanta.

“You can watch thousands of YouTube videos on virtually any subject and acquire valuable insights, but the idea was that there’s just no substitute an in-person experience together with peers in game mastering, where direct communication with faculty instructors and other game masters likely in the same boat and aim to improve their skills,” noted Jason Carl.

Workshop Options and Pricing Tiers

DMs can opt for options ranging from just under $1,000 to $2,500, based on the degree of interaction they desire with the instructors. The base tier includes a choice of four workshops:

• Foundational Skills: Teaches the essentials of managing a session.
• Long-Term Game Planning: Is dedicated to crafting long-running games.
• Setting Creation: Highlights the art of setting design.
• Industry Advancement: Aimed at DMs who seek to understand more about the roleplaying business.

Every class includes multiple sessions of training split over a weekend.

“The classes are designed so that you depart having tangible results, increased self-assurance, and a lot of usable tools,” Carl said. “They’re not just lectures and they’re not just static videos. These classes that you can participate in, gain knowledge from, and then return to your group the following week and put into practice in your regular session.”

Seasoned Educators

Most classes are instructed by duo of instructors. Setting design is led by an industry veteran and a renowned campaign designer, jointly leading the art of worldbuilding.

Professional development features four different teachers, such as a puzzle design specialist, a podcast co-host, and Hunter Fell. The additional faculty is designed to provide specialized information to participants with particular aims.

“Various attendees want to launch their own real-play series and display their adventures with the world, others want to publish and develop fresh ideas,” Carl explained. “Several only seek to ask, What does it take to be a DM at a program like D&D in a Castle? What are the skills that I need? Is this achievable?”

Advanced Options

A $1,500 enhanced option provides access to a introductory event, a introductory package, and a 30-minute office hour appointment with an instructor. This represents the debut of the program, though the organizers has previously run comparable workshops during breaks between campaigns at their castle events.

“You could almost run an entire weekend just on office hours for professional dungeon masters,” Carl mentioned. “It's unclear if that’s the most effective utilization of each attendee's hours – I believe the coursework and the lab work is too valuable – but I suspect it’s going to be a highly favored parts of the program.”

The $2.5K platinum tier includes an hour of one-on-one time and the possibility to manage an adventure for five players plus one of the faculty members, who will then give comments and guidance.

“The purpose is for the instructor to review any element is concerned with: Hey I don’t do well with improvisation or I get blocked in certain battle scenarios. May I present a situation for you and receive input on what my strengths and weaknesses are?” Carl explained. “Or maybe they want to receive input and advice on a definite universe that they’ve been creating.”

Next Steps

Feedback from the first event will help determine upcoming academy workshops. Carl suggested that likely modifications could include expanding one-on-one sessions, lengthening the event to three days, or experimenting with varied class arrangements.

“I expect that we do this very often,” Carl stated. “I truly hope to see multiple Dungeon Master Universities in a single year, in various locations, and in multiple countries. The response has been extremely positive. We're quite pleased with the results so far and I think it would be amazing to be able to organize these in partnership with large gatherings.”