🔗 Share this article Monte Cook and Monte Cook Are Teaching Sessions at DMU Since 2018, Tabletop Vacations has been hosting deeply engaging experiences where expert DMs lead Dungeons & Dragons games in historic castles in the UK and at an American castle venue. These all-inclusive trips are widely appreciated among forever DMs who infrequently find the chance to participate as players themselves, and they often ask for tips from experts on topics ranging from improvisation and creating challenges to handling difficult situations at the table. In response, the coordinators began designing a structured way to tackle these topics, which led to the creation of the Dungeon Master Academy. The inaugural event is set for the start of 2026 at Oglethorpe University. “You can watch countless online tutorials on almost every theme and learn quite a lot, but the concept was that nothing compares to an in-person experience together with fellow DMs, where real-time interaction with seasoned educators and your peers who are probably in a similar position and aim to level up their game,” noted Jason Carl. Workshop Options and Cost Levels Dungeon Masters can select options ranging from $995 to $2.5K, depending on the level of access they desire with the instructors. The base tier includes selection from four classes: Core Techniques: Covers the fundamentals of leading a game. Long-Term Game Planning: Focuses around crafting long-running games. Setting Creation: Concentrates on the development of worlds. Industry Advancement: Designed for game masters who aim to explore more about the roleplaying business. Every class includes eight hours of classwork spread over a weekend. “The workshops are created so that you leave with immediate practical outcomes, enhanced belief in your abilities, and numerous applicable methods,” Carl explained. “These aren't simple talks and they exceed pre-recorded material. These classes that you can attend, absorb insights from, and then go right back home the next week and apply in your regular session.” Expert Instructors Most classes are led by two professors. Setting design is led by the founder of Monte Cook Games and a renowned campaign designer, together instructing the craft of setting creation. Professional development features multiple instructors, such as an author on gaming puzzles, Clint McElroy, and an early professional game master. The additional faculty is meant to provide specialized information to attendees with specific goals. “Various attendees plan to create their own D&D actual play and share their stories with the world, several want to publish and create new material,” Carl stated. “Some just want to ask, How do I get to be a DM at a program like D&D in a Castle? What are the skills that I need? Is this achievable?” Higher Tiers A $1.5K enhanced option provides access to a introductory event, a welcome gift pack, and a half-hour consultation appointment with an instructor. This represents the debut of the program, though the organizers has previously run Castle Days during breaks between campaigns at their immersive experiences. “You could almost run an complete event just on office hours for professional dungeon masters,” Carl observed. “I don’t know if that’s the most effective utilization of everybody’s time – I believe the formal instruction and the lab work is too valuable – but I suspect it’s going to be a highly favored parts of the program.” The $2,500 top package provides an 60-minute private session and the possibility to run a game for several participants plus one of the faculty members, who will then give comments and guidance. “The purpose is for the instructor to review whichever aspect is interested in: I have difficulty with improvisation or I get blocked in certain battle scenarios. Can I run a situation for you and get feedback on my areas of proficiency and challenge?” Carl explained. “Perhaps they want to get feedback and information on a definite universe that they’ve been developing.” Coming Developments Feedback from the inaugural session will help guide future Dungeon Master University sessions. Carl mentioned that possible changes could include expanding one-on-one sessions, making it longer to three days, or testing varied class arrangements. “I hope that we do this very often,” Carl stated. “I really want to see multiple Dungeon Master Universities in a single year, in multiple places, and in various nations. The response has been really terrific. We're extremely satisfied with the results so far and I feel it would be wonderful to be able to do this in collaboration with big conventions.”
Since 2018, Tabletop Vacations has been hosting deeply engaging experiences where expert DMs lead Dungeons & Dragons games in historic castles in the UK and at an American castle venue. These all-inclusive trips are widely appreciated among forever DMs who infrequently find the chance to participate as players themselves, and they often ask for tips from experts on topics ranging from improvisation and creating challenges to handling difficult situations at the table. In response, the coordinators began designing a structured way to tackle these topics, which led to the creation of the Dungeon Master Academy. The inaugural event is set for the start of 2026 at Oglethorpe University. “You can watch countless online tutorials on almost every theme and learn quite a lot, but the concept was that nothing compares to an in-person experience together with fellow DMs, where real-time interaction with seasoned educators and your peers who are probably in a similar position and aim to level up their game,” noted Jason Carl. Workshop Options and Cost Levels Dungeon Masters can select options ranging from $995 to $2.5K, depending on the level of access they desire with the instructors. The base tier includes selection from four classes: Core Techniques: Covers the fundamentals of leading a game. Long-Term Game Planning: Focuses around crafting long-running games. Setting Creation: Concentrates on the development of worlds. Industry Advancement: Designed for game masters who aim to explore more about the roleplaying business. Every class includes eight hours of classwork spread over a weekend. “The workshops are created so that you leave with immediate practical outcomes, enhanced belief in your abilities, and numerous applicable methods,” Carl explained. “These aren't simple talks and they exceed pre-recorded material. These classes that you can attend, absorb insights from, and then go right back home the next week and apply in your regular session.” Expert Instructors Most classes are led by two professors. Setting design is led by the founder of Monte Cook Games and a renowned campaign designer, together instructing the craft of setting creation. Professional development features multiple instructors, such as an author on gaming puzzles, Clint McElroy, and an early professional game master. The additional faculty is meant to provide specialized information to attendees with specific goals. “Various attendees plan to create their own D&D actual play and share their stories with the world, several want to publish and create new material,” Carl stated. “Some just want to ask, How do I get to be a DM at a program like D&D in a Castle? What are the skills that I need? Is this achievable?” Higher Tiers A $1.5K enhanced option provides access to a introductory event, a welcome gift pack, and a half-hour consultation appointment with an instructor. This represents the debut of the program, though the organizers has previously run Castle Days during breaks between campaigns at their immersive experiences. “You could almost run an complete event just on office hours for professional dungeon masters,” Carl observed. “I don’t know if that’s the most effective utilization of everybody’s time – I believe the formal instruction and the lab work is too valuable – but I suspect it’s going to be a highly favored parts of the program.” The $2,500 top package provides an 60-minute private session and the possibility to run a game for several participants plus one of the faculty members, who will then give comments and guidance. “The purpose is for the instructor to review whichever aspect is interested in: I have difficulty with improvisation or I get blocked in certain battle scenarios. Can I run a situation for you and get feedback on my areas of proficiency and challenge?” Carl explained. “Perhaps they want to get feedback and information on a definite universe that they’ve been developing.” Coming Developments Feedback from the inaugural session will help guide future Dungeon Master University sessions. Carl mentioned that possible changes could include expanding one-on-one sessions, making it longer to three days, or testing varied class arrangements. “I hope that we do this very often,” Carl stated. “I really want to see multiple Dungeon Master Universities in a single year, in multiple places, and in various nations. The response has been really terrific. We're extremely satisfied with the results so far and I feel it would be wonderful to be able to do this in collaboration with big conventions.”