Keith Baker along with Keith Baker Are Instructing Sessions at Dungeon Master University

Since 2018, Tabletop Vacations has been organizing deeply engaging experiences where experienced game masters manage fantasy roleplaying games in historic castles in the UK and at Landoll’s Mohican Castle. The comprehensive packages are especially popular among long-time dungeon masters who seldom have the chance to actually play 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 coordinators began developing a organized method to answer these inquiries, which led to the establishment of DMU. The debut workshop is scheduled for early January 2026 at a university in Atlanta.

“It's possible to view countless online tutorials on virtually any subject and acquire valuable insights, but the philosophy was that there’s just no substitute an in-person experience in the company of peers in game mastering, where there’s live engagement with seasoned educators and other game masters who are probably in comparable situations and aim to enhance their abilities,” explained the program's dean.

Course Offerings and Cost Levels

Game masters can choose from tiers ranging from $995 to $2.5K, based on the degree of interaction they desire with the experts. The entry-level option includes a choice of four workshops:

• Foundational Skills: Teaches the basics of leading a game.
• Story Arc Development: Centers on crafting long-running games.
• Setting Creation: Emphasizes the art of setting design.
• Professional Development: Aimed at dungeon masters who want to learn more about the roleplaying business.

Each course includes multiple sessions of instruction spread over 48 hours.

“The courses are structured so that you walk away with usable skills, increased self-assurance, and numerous applicable methods,” Carl said. “These aren't simple talks and they go beyond recorded content. These classes that you can attend, gain knowledge from, and then go right back home the next week and apply in your local game.”

Professional Teachers

Most classes are taught by a pair of experts. Setting design is taught by Monte Cook and Keith Baker, both teaching the art of worldbuilding.

Professional development features four different teachers, such as Elisa Teague, a podcast co-host, and a pioneering DM. The extra instructors is meant to deliver focused advice to attendees with specific goals.

“Some of them want to launch their own real-play series and share their stories with the world, several aim to release and create new material,” Carl explained. “Several only seek to ask, How do I get to be a DM at something like a castle event? Which abilities that I need? Is this achievable?”

Higher Tiers

A $1.5K gold tier includes access to a introductory event, a introductory package, and a 30-minute office hour appointment with a teacher. This constitutes the first Dungeon Master Academy, though the team has previously run comparable workshops during breaks between game sessions at their immersive experiences.

“You could almost run an complete event just on consultation sessions for professional dungeon masters,” Carl observed. “I don’t know if that’s the best use of all participants' schedule – I believe the structured learning and the lab work is extremely important – but I believe it’s going to be a highly favored parts of the program.”

The $2,500 top package provides an extended personal consultation and the opportunity to manage an adventure for several participants plus an instructor, who will then provide notes and coaching.

“The purpose is for the instructor to evaluate whatever the DM is focused on: Hey I don’t do well with improv or I feel stuck in this kind of combat situation. Could I demonstrate a scenario for you and receive input on what my strengths and weaknesses are?” Carl detailed. “Alternatively they want to obtain critique and advice on a definite universe that they’ve been creating.”

Coming Developments

Responses from the debut workshop will help shape future Dungeon Master University sessions. Carl suggested that likely modifications could include expanding one-on-one sessions, extending the program to three days, or trying out different seminar structures.

“I hope that we do this very often,” Carl expressed. “I truly hope to see multiple Dungeon Master Universities in a single year, in different cities, and in various nations. The response has been really terrific. We're quite pleased with current developments and I believe it would be amazing to be able to do this in collaboration with major events.”