Monte Cook and Monte Cook Are Teaching Classes at Dungeon Master University

Beginning in 2018, a specialized event organizer has been hosting deeply engaging experiences where professional dungeon masters manage Dungeons & Dragons games in historic castles in the UK and at a U.S. castle resort. The full-service getaways are highly favored among forever DMs who seldom have the chance to join in the game themselves, and they often ask for tips from experts on topics ranging from spontaneous storytelling and crafting riddles to dealing with tough scenarios at the table.

In response, the planners began crafting a organized method to address these questions, which led to the creation of the Dungeon Master Academy. The first session is planned for January 2-3, 2026 at Oglethorpe University.

“It's possible to view numerous digital guides on almost every theme and learn quite a lot, but the concept was that nothing truly replaces a live, hands-on session together with peers in game mastering, where there’s live engagement with faculty instructors and your peers who are probably in comparable situations and also want to level up their game,” stated Jason Carl.

Course Offerings and Pricing Tiers

DMs can select packages ranging from just under $1,000 to $2,500, according to the level of access they desire with the experts. The base tier includes one of four courses:

• Skill Building: Covers the fundamentals of running D&D.
• Story Arc Development: Centers on designing extended campaigns.
• Worldbuilding: Emphasizes the art of setting design.
• Professional Development: Aimed at dungeon masters who want to learn more about the tabletop profession.

All workshops includes two days of classwork split over a weekend.

“The classes are created so that you walk away with immediate practical outcomes, probably greater confidence, and numerous applicable methods,” Carl said. “These aren't simple talks and they’re not just static videos. These workshops that you can join, gain knowledge from, and then head back to your table the week after and apply in your regular session.”

Professional Teachers

Many sessions are led by duo of instructors. Worldbuilding is led by an industry veteran and a renowned campaign designer, jointly leading the art of worldbuilding.

Career building presents multiple instructors, such as Elisa Teague, an entertainment professional, and a pioneering DM. The extra instructors is designed to offer targeted guidance to attendees with definite objectives.

“Various attendees plan to create their own live gameplay show and present their narratives with the world, several want to publish and develop fresh ideas,” Carl explained. “Some just want to ask, What does it take to be a DM at an event like D&D in a Castle? Which abilities that I need? Is it for everyone?”

Advanced Options

A $1,500 gold tier provides access to a opening gathering, a introductory package, and a brief one-on-one appointment with a teacher. This represents the debut of the program, though the organizers has previously run comparable workshops during breaks between adventures at their immersive experiences.

“You could almost run an complete event just on one-on-one meetings for professional dungeon masters,” Carl observed. “I don’t know if that’s the most effective utilization of each attendee's hours – I think the coursework and the practical exercises is extremely important – but I believe it’s going to be a highly favored parts of the program.”

The twenty-five hundred dollar premium option provides an hour of one-on-one time and the chance to run a game for five players plus a teacher, who will then provide notes and instruction.

“The goal is for the instructor to review whichever aspect is focused on: Hey I don’t do well with improv or I feel stuck in specific fight encounters. Can I run a situation for you and get feedback on what my strengths and weaknesses are?” Carl said. “Or maybe they want to obtain critique and advice on a specific world that they’ve been developing.”

Next Steps

Feedback from the debut workshop will help determine future Dungeon Master University sessions. Carl said that likely modifications could include adding more office hours, making it longer to a longer period, or trying out varied class arrangements.

“I hope that we do this regularly,” Carl expressed. “I would love to see several DMU sessions in a single year, in different cities, and in various nations. The reception has been extremely positive. We’re very happy with the results so far and I feel it would be wonderful to be able to do this in collaboration with big conventions.”