Keith Baker along with Keith Baker Will Lead Sessions at Dungeon Master Academy

Beginning in 2018, Tabletop Vacations has been running immersive events where experienced game masters lead Dungeons & Dragons games in historic castles in England and at Landoll’s Mohican Castle. The full-service getaways are widely appreciated among long-time dungeon masters who infrequently find the chance to participate as players themselves, and they often look for guidance from seasoned professionals on topics ranging from improv and puzzle design to dealing with tough scenarios at the table.

In response, the coordinators began crafting a organized method to answer these inquiries, which led to the establishment of Dungeon Master University. The debut workshop is scheduled for the start of 2026 at an Atlanta campus.

“It's possible to view thousands of YouTube videos on any topic and gain significant knowledge, but the idea was that there’s just no substitute a live, hands-on session in the company of fellow DMs, where direct communication with expert teachers and your peers likely in the same boat and seek to enhance their abilities,” stated Jason Carl.

Available Classes and Ticket Packages

Game masters can opt for packages ranging from just under $1,000 to $2.5K, according to the degree of interaction they desire with the professionals. The starting package includes selection from four classes:

• Skill Building: Covers the fundamentals of managing a session.
• Story Arc Development: Is dedicated to crafting long-running games.
• Setting Creation: Emphasizes the art of setting design.
• Industry Advancement: Designed for game masters who want to learn more about the tabletop profession.

All workshops includes multiple sessions of instruction divided across a weekend.

“The courses are created so that you leave with usable skills, enhanced belief in your abilities, and numerous applicable methods,” Carl said. “These aren't simple talks and they go beyond recorded content. These are sessions that you can attend, learn from, and then return to your group the week after and implement in your regular session.”

Professional Teachers

Many sessions are led by a pair of experts. Worldbuilding is taught by Monte Cook and the creator of Eberron, jointly leading the skill of universe design.

Career building includes multiple instructors, such as a puzzle design specialist, Clint McElroy, and Hunter Fell. The extra instructors is intended to offer targeted guidance to participants with particular aims.

“Some of them aim to start their own real-play series and present their narratives with the world, several want to publish and write original content,” Carl stated. “Others simply wish to ask, What does it take to be a DM at something like an immersive experience? What are the skills that I need? Can anyone do it?”

Premium Packages

A $1,500 enhanced option provides access to a introductory event, a welcome gift pack, and a half-hour consultation appointment with an instructor. This marks the inaugural DMU session, though the organizers has previously run comparable workshops during breaks between adventures at their castle events.

“It would be possible to organize an complete event just on one-on-one meetings for expert DMs,” Carl observed. “I'm not certain if that’s the best use of everybody’s time – I think the formal instruction and the hands-on activities is too valuable – but I suspect it’s going to be a highly favored parts of the program.”

The twenty-five hundred dollar premium option provides an extended personal consultation and the chance to lead a session for five players plus a teacher, who will then give comments and instruction.

“The purpose is for the teacher to assess whichever aspect is focused on: I struggle with spontaneous decisions or I get blocked in specific fight encounters. Can I run a scene for you and receive input on my areas of proficiency and challenge?” Carl said. “Alternatively they want to get feedback and guidance on a specific world that they’ve been developing.”

Future Plans

Input from the debut workshop will help determine upcoming academy workshops. Carl said that potential adjustments could include increasing consultation time, making it longer to a longer period, or testing different seminar structures.

“I anticipate that we host such events regularly,” Carl said. “I truly hope to see several DMU sessions in a calendar year, in multiple places, and in different countries. The response has been extremely positive. We're extremely satisfied with current developments and I believe it would be fantastic to be able to organize these in conjunction with major events.”