Monte Cook and Keith Baker Are Instructing Sessions at Dungeon Master University

Beginning in 2018, a specialized event organizer has been hosting immersive events where expert DMs run D&D games in historic castles in Britain and at a U.S. castle resort. These all-inclusive trips are especially popular among long-time dungeon masters who infrequently find the chance to actually play themselves, and they often ask for tips from seasoned professionals on topics ranging from improvisation and creating challenges to managing conflicts at the table.

In response, the coordinators began designing a organized method to address these questions, which led to the founding of Dungeon Master University. The debut workshop is planned for early January 2026 at a university in Atlanta.

“It's possible to view thousands of YouTube videos on almost every theme and acquire valuable insights, but the philosophy was that nothing compares to a live, hands-on session together with peers in game mastering, where real-time interaction with faculty instructors and other game masters likely in comparable situations and seek to level up their game,” explained the program's dean.

Workshop Options and Pricing Tiers

Dungeon Masters can opt for tiers ranging from nearly a thousand dollars to $2.5K, depending on the degree of interaction they desire with the professionals. The starting package includes a choice of four workshops:

• Foundational Skills: Teaches the fundamentals of managing a session.
• Long-Term Game Planning: Centers on designing extended campaigns.
• Setting Creation: Concentrates on the art of setting design.
• Career Building: Designed for dungeon masters who seek to understand more about the tabletop profession.

All workshops includes two days of classwork spread over two days.

“The workshops are created so that you leave with usable skills, enhanced belief in your abilities, and numerous applicable methods,” Carl explained. “They’re not just lectures and they go beyond recorded content. These are sessions that you can join, absorb insights from, and then go right back home the week after and put into practice in your regular session.”

Expert Instructors

Most classes are taught by two professors. Worldbuilding is led by Monte Cook and Keith Baker, jointly leading the art of worldbuilding.

Professional development features several experts, such as a puzzle design specialist, a podcast co-host, and Hunter Fell. 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 present their narratives with the world, several aim to release and write original content,” Carl said. “Several only seek to ask, How do I get to be a DM at something like a castle event? Which abilities that I need? Can anyone do it?”

Premium Packages

A $1,500 enhanced option provides access to a opening gathering, a introductory package, and a half-hour consultation appointment with a teacher. This constitutes the inaugural DMU session, though the company has previously run Castle Days during breaks between adventures at their castle events.

“One could practically host an complete event just on one-on-one meetings for professional dungeon masters,” Carl mentioned. “I'm not certain if that’s the optimal application of all participants' schedule – I think the formal instruction 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 possibility to lead a session for a small group plus an instructor, who will then give comments and instruction.

“The goal is for the instructor to review whichever aspect is concerned with: I struggle with improv or I feel stuck in certain battle scenarios. Could I demonstrate a situation for you and obtain advice on my areas of proficiency and challenge?” Carl detailed. “Or maybe they want to obtain critique and advice on a definite universe that they’ve been developing.”

Next Steps

Responses from the first event will help determine future Dungeon Master University sessions. Carl said that possible changes could include increasing consultation time, lengthening the event to a longer period, or testing alternative workshop formats.

“I anticipate that we do this very often,” Carl said. “I really want to see multiple Dungeon Master Universities in a given year, in multiple places, and in multiple countries. The reception has been really terrific. We’re very happy with what we’re seeing and I think it would be amazing to be able to organize these in collaboration with big conventions.”