Monte Cook along with Keith Baker Are Teaching Workshops at DMU

Beginning in 2018, a specialized event organizer has been organizing deeply engaging experiences where experienced game masters lead D&D games in ancient fortresses in the UK and at Landoll’s Mohican Castle. These all-inclusive trips are highly favored among career game masters who rarely get the chance to actually play themselves, and they often seek advice from seasoned professionals on topics ranging from improv and puzzle design to managing conflicts at the table.

In response, the coordinators began designing a organized method to address these questions, which led to the creation of DMU. The first session is set for early January 2026 at an Atlanta campus.

“There are thousands of YouTube videos on almost every theme and learn quite a lot, but the idea was that nothing compares to a live, hands-on session in the company of fellow DMs, where real-time interaction with faculty instructors and other game masters who are probably in comparable situations and aim to level up their game,” explained Jason Carl.

Course Offerings and Cost Levels

Dungeon Masters can choose from tiers ranging from just under $1,000 to $2.5K, depending on the amount of contact they desire with the experts. The entry-level option includes selection from four classes:

• Foundational Skills: Focuses on the basics of managing a session.
• Story Arc Development: Focuses around designing extended campaigns.
• Worldbuilding: Emphasizes the crafting of environments.
• Industry Advancement: Tailored to game masters who want to learn more about the roleplaying business.

All workshops includes two days of classwork divided across a weekend.

“The workshops are designed so that you leave with usable skills, probably greater confidence, and numerous applicable methods,” Carl said. “It's more than presentations and they go beyond recorded content. These are sessions that you can join, absorb insights from, and then head back to your table the following week and implement in your regular session.”

Expert Instructors

Many sessions are instructed by a pair of experts. Setting design is led by an industry veteran and the creator of Eberron, jointly leading the craft of setting creation.

Industry advancement features four different teachers, such as Elisa Teague, a podcast co-host, and an early professional game master. The additional faculty is meant to deliver focused advice to attendees with specific goals.

“Certain participants want to launch their own real-play series and share their stories with the world, some of them aim to release and write original content,” Carl stated. “Others simply wish to ask, How do I get to be a DM at a program like a castle event? What are the skills that I need? Can anyone do it?”

Higher Tiers

A $1.5K premium package offers access to a welcome reception, a introductory package, and a half-hour consultation appointment with one of the faculty. This constitutes the debut of the program, though the company has previously run similar events during breaks between game sessions at their castle events.

“It would be possible to organize an full two days just on office hours for professional dungeon masters,” Carl observed. “I don’t know if that’s the optimal application of each attendee's hours – I believe the formal instruction and the hands-on activities is extremely important – but I think it’s going to be a highly favored parts of the program.”

The $2.5K platinum tier includes an extended personal consultation and the chance to lead a session for several participants plus a teacher, who will then offer feedback and instruction.

“The goal is for the faculty member to review any element is concerned with: I struggle with spontaneous decisions or I encounter obstacles in certain battle scenarios. Can I run a situation for you and get feedback on what my strengths and weaknesses are?” Carl said. “Alternatively they want to obtain critique and information on a definite universe that they’ve been building.”

Next Steps

Feedback from the debut workshop will help shape upcoming academy workshops. Carl said that likely modifications could include expanding one-on-one sessions, making it longer to a longer period, or experimenting with different seminar structures.

“I expect that we conduct these frequently,” Carl expressed. “I really want to see numerous academy events in a single year, in various locations, and in different countries. The response has been overwhelmingly favorable. We're extremely satisfied with the results so far and I believe it would be amazing to be able to organize these in collaboration with big conventions.”