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

Since 2018, a specialized event organizer has been running deeply engaging experiences where professional dungeon masters manage D&D games in ancient fortresses in England and at a U.S. castle resort. The full-service getaways are highly favored among forever DMs who seldom have the opportunity to join in the game themselves, and they often seek advice from seasoned professionals on topics ranging from improv and creating challenges to dealing with tough scenarios at the table.

In response, the planners began designing a structured way to answer these inquiries, which led to the creation of Dungeon Master University. The debut workshop is planned for January 2-3, 2026 at Oglethorpe University.

“It's possible to view numerous digital guides on almost every theme and gain significant knowledge, but the concept was that nothing truly replaces face-to-face interaction alongside peers in game mastering, where there’s live engagement with expert teachers and your peers often in a similar position and aim to improve their skills,” noted the program's dean.

Workshop Options and Pricing Tiers

DMs can choose from packages ranging from just under $1,000 to two thousand five hundred dollars, based on the level of access they desire with the instructors. The base tier includes one of four courses:

• Foundational Skills: Teaches the essentials of running D&D.
• Campaign Building: Centers on designing extended campaigns.
• Setting Creation: Concentrates on the art of setting design.
• Professional Development: Designed for dungeon masters who aim to explore more about the tabletop profession.

All workshops includes eight hours of training split over 48 hours.

“The classes are structured so that you walk away with usable skills, enhanced belief in your abilities, and a lot of usable tools,” Carl said. “They’re not just lectures and they exceed pre-recorded material. These are sessions that you can join, gain knowledge from, and then return to your group the next week and implement in your home campaign.”

Expert Instructors

Most classes are led by a pair of experts. Setting design is led by the founder of Monte Cook Games and a renowned campaign designer, both teaching the skill of universe design.

Industry advancement features several experts, such as a puzzle design specialist, a podcast co-host, and Hunter Fell. The expanded teaching staff is intended to deliver focused advice to students with particular aims.

“Some of them want to launch their own D&D actual play and present their narratives with the world, some of them plan to produce and write original content,” Carl said. “Several only seek to ask, How do I get to be a DM at something like an immersive experience? What capabilities that I need? Is this achievable?”

Premium Packages

A fifteen hundred dollar gold tier includes access to a welcome reception, a introductory package, and a brief one-on-one appointment with a teacher. This constitutes the debut of the program, though the team has previously run similar events during breaks between campaigns at their premium gatherings.

“It would be possible to organize an full two days just on consultation sessions for expert DMs,” Carl observed. “I'm not certain if that’s the best use of each attendee's hours – I believe the formal instruction and the hands-on activities is extremely important – but I believe it’s going to be a highly favored parts of the program.”

The twenty-five hundred dollar top package offers an 60-minute private session and the chance to lead a session for a small group plus an instructor, who will then give comments and guidance.

“The purpose is for the teacher to evaluate any element is interested in: I have difficulty with spontaneous decisions or I get blocked in specific fight encounters. Can I run a scenario for you and get feedback on what my strengths and weaknesses are?” Carl detailed. “Perhaps they want to obtain critique and guidance on a specific world that they’ve been building.”

Coming Developments

Feedback from the debut workshop will help determine subsequent DMU events. Carl said that likely modifications could include expanding one-on-one sessions, extending the program to 72 hours, or testing different seminar structures.

“I hope that we do this regularly,” Carl stated. “I would love to see multiple Dungeon Master Universities in a given year, in multiple places, and in various nations. The feedback has been extremely positive. 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 major events.”