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

Since 2018, Tabletop Vacations has been organizing deeply engaging experiences where expert DMs lead Dungeons & Dragons games in old manors in England and at an American castle venue. The full-service getaways are highly favored among career game masters who infrequently find the moment to join in the game themselves, and they often look for guidance from the pros on topics ranging from improvisation and puzzle design to managing conflicts at the table.

In response, the coordinators began designing a systematic approach to answer these inquiries, which led to the establishment of DMU. The debut workshop is planned for early January 2026 at a university in Atlanta.

“It's possible to view numerous digital guides on any topic and acquire valuable insights, but the concept was that there’s just no substitute an in-person experience together with other dungeon masters, where direct communication with seasoned educators and your fellow DMs who are probably in a similar position and seek to level up their game,” noted Jason Carl.

Workshop Options and Cost Levels

Game masters can select options ranging from just under $1,000 to $2.5K, depending on the level of access they desire with the instructors. The starting package includes a choice of four workshops:

• Skill Building: Teaches the fundamentals of running D&D.
• Campaign Building: Focuses around building persistent adventures.
• Universe Design: Concentrates on the crafting of environments.
• Industry Advancement: Tailored to dungeon masters who seek to understand more about the gaming industry.

All workshops includes eight hours of classwork divided across a weekend.

“The classes are designed so that you depart having tangible results, probably greater confidence, and many practical techniques,” Carl noted. “It's more than presentations and they’re not just static videos. These classes that you can attend, gain knowledge from, and then head back to your table the next week and implement in your regular session.”

Professional Teachers

Many sessions are led by a pair of experts. Setting design is taught by an industry veteran and a renowned campaign designer, together instructing the craft of setting creation.

Industry advancement features several experts, such as Elisa Teague, Clint McElroy, and a pioneering DM. The additional faculty is designed to deliver focused advice to students with definite objectives.

“Some of them plan to create their own real-play series and share their stories with the world, several plan to produce and write original content,” Carl said. “Some just want to ask, What does it take to be a DM at something like D&D in a Castle? Which abilities that I need? Is this achievable?”

Premium Packages

A $1.5K gold tier includes access to a welcome reception, a introductory package, and a brief one-on-one appointment with a teacher. This constitutes the first Dungeon Master Academy, though the organizers has previously run Castle Days during breaks between campaigns at their castle events.

“You could almost run an complete event just on one-on-one meetings for professional dungeon masters,” Carl said. “It's unclear if that’s the best use of everybody’s time – In my opinion the structured learning and the practical exercises is highly beneficial – but I believe it’s going to be one of the most popular parts of the program.”

The $2.5K premium option offers an extended personal consultation and the opportunity to run a game for several participants plus one of the faculty members, who will then give comments and instruction.

“The goal is for the teacher to assess whatever the DM is interested in: I struggle with spontaneous decisions or I feel stuck in certain battle scenarios. Could I demonstrate a scene for you and receive input on what my strengths and weaknesses are?” Carl explained. “Or maybe they want to obtain critique and information on a specific world that they’ve been developing.”

Next Steps

Input from the debut workshop will help shape future Dungeon Master University sessions. Carl suggested that likely modifications could include adding more office hours, lengthening the event to 72 hours, or testing alternative workshop formats.

“I expect that we do this frequently,” Carl expressed. “I would love to see several DMU sessions in a calendar year, in various locations, and in different countries. The feedback has been overwhelmingly favorable. We’re very happy with what we’re seeing and I think it would be amazing to be able to do this in partnership with major events.”