Monte Cook along with Monte Cook Are Teaching Sessions at DMU

Beginning in 2018, Tabletop Vacations has been organizing deeply engaging experiences where experienced game masters run fantasy roleplaying games in ancient fortresses in Britain and at an American castle venue. These all-inclusive trips are highly favored among long-time dungeon masters who rarely get the opportunity to participate as players themselves, and they often ask for tips from experts on topics ranging from improv and creating challenges to managing conflicts at the table.

In response, the planners began crafting a systematic approach to address these questions, which led to the creation of DMU. The inaugural event is planned for early January 2026 at a university in Atlanta.

“There are thousands of YouTube videos on virtually any subject and acquire valuable insights, but the concept was that nothing truly replaces an in-person experience together with fellow DMs, where there’s live engagement with seasoned educators and other game masters likely in the same boat and seek to improve their skills,” stated the program's dean.

Available Classes and Ticket Packages

Dungeon Masters can choose from packages ranging from $995 to $2.5K, according to the amount of contact they desire with the professionals. The base tier includes one of four courses:

• Core Techniques: Focuses on the essentials of leading a game.
• Story Arc Development: Centers on building persistent adventures.
• Setting Creation: Highlights the development of worlds.
• Professional Development: Aimed at dungeon masters who aim to explore more about the tabletop profession.

All workshops includes multiple sessions of training spread over a weekend.

“The classes are designed so that you leave with usable skills, probably greater confidence, and many practical techniques,” Carl said. “It's more than presentations and they exceed pre-recorded material. These are sessions that you can participate in, absorb insights from, and then return to your group the week after and apply in your home campaign.”

Seasoned Educators

Many sessions are instructed by two professors. Setting design is taught by Monte Cook and a renowned campaign designer, jointly leading the craft of setting creation.

Career building presents several experts, such as an author on gaming puzzles, an entertainment professional, and a pioneering DM. The additional faculty is meant to provide specialized information to attendees with particular aims.

“Various attendees aim to start their own live gameplay show and display their adventures with the world, several want to publish and develop fresh ideas,” Carl said. “Several only seek to ask, What does it take to be a DM at an event like D&D in a Castle? What are the skills that I need? Can anyone do it?”

Higher Tiers

A fifteen hundred dollar premium package includes access to a welcome reception, a introductory package, and a brief one-on-one appointment with one of the faculty. This represents the debut of the program, though the company has previously run comparable workshops during breaks between game sessions at their castle events.

“You could almost run an entire weekend just on consultation sessions for expert DMs,” Carl observed. “I'm not certain if that’s the optimal application of each attendee's hours – In my opinion the structured learning and the hands-on activities is highly beneficial – but I suspect it’s going to be one of the most popular parts of the program.”

The twenty-five hundred dollar premium option includes an hour of one-on-one time and the chance to manage an adventure for five players plus one of the faculty members, who will then provide notes and coaching.

“The goal is for the teacher to evaluate whichever aspect is focused on: Hey I don’t do well with improv or I get blocked in specific fight encounters. May I present a scene for you and obtain advice on where I excel and need improvement?” Carl detailed. “Alternatively they want to get feedback and information on a definite universe that they’ve been developing.”

Next Steps

Responses from the debut workshop will help guide future Dungeon Master University sessions. Carl mentioned that likely modifications could include increasing consultation time, making it longer to three days, or testing different seminar structures.

“I anticipate that we conduct these frequently,” Carl stated. “I would love to see multiple Dungeon Master Universities in a single year, in various locations, and in multiple countries. The reception has been overwhelmingly favorable. We're extremely satisfied with the results so far and I think it would be amazing to be able to conduct this in conjunction with big conventions.”