Monte Cook and Monte Cook Will Lead Workshops at Dungeon Master Academy

Beginning in 2018, Tabletop Vacations has been hosting deeply engaging experiences where experienced game masters run Dungeons & Dragons games in historic castles in Britain and at an American castle venue. These all-inclusive trips are widely appreciated among long-time dungeon masters who rarely get the chance to join in the game themselves, and they often look for guidance from the pros on topics ranging from improv and crafting riddles to managing conflicts at the table.

In response, the coordinators began crafting a systematic approach to tackle these topics, which led to the founding of Dungeon Master University. The inaugural event is set for January 2-3, 2026 at Oglethorpe University.

“There are countless online tutorials on virtually any subject and acquire valuable insights, but the philosophy was that there’s just no substitute a live, hands-on session together with fellow DMs, where direct communication with faculty instructors and your peers often in the same boat and seek to improve their skills,” explained the program's dean.

Workshop Options and Pricing Tiers

DMs can select options ranging from nearly a thousand dollars to $2,500, according to the degree of interaction they desire with the instructors. The entry-level option includes one of four courses:

• Skill Building: Teaches the essentials of managing a session.
• Story Arc Development: Is dedicated to crafting long-running games.
• Worldbuilding: Highlights the crafting of environments.
• Professional Development: Aimed at dungeon masters who seek to understand more about the roleplaying business.

Every class includes eight hours of training spread over two days.

“The workshops are structured so that you leave with tangible results, probably greater confidence, and many practical techniques,” Carl explained. “They’re not just lectures and they go beyond recorded content. These classes that you can join, gain knowledge from, and then return to your group the week after and put into practice in your home campaign.”

Professional Teachers

The majority of workshops are led by two professors. Setting design is taught by Monte Cook and the creator of Eberron, jointly leading the art of worldbuilding.

Professional development features four different teachers, such as a puzzle design specialist, Clint McElroy, and Hunter Fell. The additional faculty is meant to provide specialized information to participants with definite objectives.

“Certain participants plan to create their own live gameplay show and share their stories with the world, some of them aim to release and write original content,” Carl said. “Some just want to ask, What does it take to be a DM at something like an immersive experience? Which abilities that I need? Is this achievable?”

Higher Tiers

A $1.5K gold tier provides access to a introductory event, a introductory package, and a brief one-on-one appointment with one of the faculty. This represents the first Dungeon Master Academy, though the organizers has previously run comparable workshops during breaks between game sessions at their castle events.

“You could almost run an full two days just on one-on-one meetings for professional dungeon masters,” Carl said. “It's unclear if that’s the most effective utilization of each attendee's hours – I think the formal instruction and the lab work is highly beneficial – but I suspect it’s going to be among the most sought-after parts of the program.”

The $2.5K top package offers an 60-minute private session and the opportunity to lead a session for five players plus an instructor, who will then provide notes and instruction.

“The goal is for the faculty member to assess any element is focused on: Hey I don’t do well with improv or I get blocked in this kind of combat situation. Can I run a situation for you and get feedback on my areas of proficiency and challenge?” Carl said. “Perhaps they want to obtain critique and guidance on a particular setting that they’ve been developing.”

Future Plans

Responses from the inaugural session will help shape future Dungeon Master University sessions. Carl mentioned that potential adjustments could include adding more office hours, lengthening the event to three days, or experimenting with different seminar structures.

“I anticipate that we host such events regularly,” Carl expressed. “I really want to see multiple Dungeon Master Universities in a single year, in various locations, and in various nations. The response has been really terrific. We’re very happy with what we’re seeing and I feel it would be fantastic to be able to do this in partnership with large gatherings.”