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

Since 2018, Tabletop Vacations has been organizing immersive events where expert DMs manage Dungeons & Dragons games in ancient fortresses in the UK and at Landoll’s Mohican Castle. These all-inclusive trips are highly favored among long-time dungeon masters who seldom have the moment to join in the game themselves, and they often seek advice from seasoned professionals on topics ranging from improvisation and puzzle design to handling difficult situations at the table.

In response, the planners began developing a structured way to answer these inquiries, which led to the founding of DMU. The first session is scheduled for January 2-3, 2026 at Oglethorpe University.

“You can watch countless online tutorials on any topic and gain significant knowledge, but the philosophy was that nothing compares to face-to-face interaction together with peers in game mastering, where real-time interaction with seasoned educators and your fellow DMs likely in comparable situations and also want to enhance their abilities,” noted the program's dean.

Workshop Options and Pricing Tiers

DMs can select packages ranging from nearly a thousand dollars to $2.5K, depending on the level of access they desire with the professionals. The starting package includes selection from four classes:

• Skill Building: Focuses on the basics of running D&D.
• Story Arc Development: Is dedicated to building persistent adventures.
• Worldbuilding: Highlights the art of setting design.
• Industry Advancement: Aimed at DMs who aim to explore more about the gaming industry.

Each course includes multiple sessions of instruction split over a weekend.

“The workshops are structured so that you walk away with immediate practical outcomes, enhanced belief in your abilities, and numerous applicable methods,” Carl noted. “It's more than presentations and they’re not just static videos. These are sessions that you can attend, absorb insights from, and then head back to your table the week after and apply in your local game.”

Professional Teachers

Many sessions are led by two professors. Worldbuilding is led by an industry veteran and the creator of Eberron, jointly leading the craft of setting creation.

Industry advancement includes four different teachers, such as Elisa Teague, an entertainment professional, and a pioneering DM. The additional faculty is intended to deliver focused advice to participants with specific goals.

“Various attendees want to launch their own D&D actual play and present their narratives with the world, some of them want to publish and write original content,” Carl stated. “Several only seek to ask, How do I get to be a DM at an event like a castle event? What capabilities that I need? Can anyone do it?”

Higher Tiers

A $1.5K gold tier includes access to a welcome reception, a welcome gift pack, and a half-hour consultation appointment with one of the faculty. This represents the inaugural DMU session, though the company has previously run similar events during breaks between adventures at their castle events.

“You could almost run an full two days just on consultation sessions for career game masters,” Carl said. “I'm not certain if that’s the most effective utilization of each attendee's hours – I believe the formal instruction and the lab work is highly beneficial – but I think it’s going to be a highly favored parts of the program.”

The $2.5K premium option provides an extended personal consultation and the chance to lead a session for five players plus one of the faculty members, who will then provide notes and coaching.

“The purpose is for the faculty member to assess whatever the DM is interested in: Hey I don’t do well with spontaneous decisions or I encounter obstacles in this kind of combat situation. Could I demonstrate a scene for you and obtain advice on where I excel and need improvement?” Carl said. “Perhaps they want to get feedback and advice on a particular setting that they’ve been developing.”

Future Plans

Responses from the inaugural session will help determine upcoming academy workshops. Carl suggested that likely modifications could include increasing consultation time, lengthening the event to a longer period, or testing alternative workshop formats.

“I anticipate that we conduct these frequently,” Carl said. “I would love to see several DMU sessions in a single year, in different cities, and in multiple countries. The reception has been extremely positive. We're quite pleased with what we’re seeing and I think it would be wonderful to be able to organize these in conjunction with major events.”