Keith Baker and Monte Cook Are Teaching Sessions at DMU

Beginning in 2018, a specialized event organizer has been running immersive events where professional dungeon masters manage Dungeons & Dragons games in old manors in Britain and at Landoll’s Mohican Castle. The full-service getaways are highly favored among long-time dungeon masters who rarely get the moment to participate as players themselves, and they often look for guidance from the pros on topics ranging from improvisation and puzzle design to handling difficult situations at the table.

In response, the planners began developing a systematic approach to answer these inquiries, which led to the creation of the Dungeon Master Academy. The inaugural event is scheduled for early January 2026 at a university in Atlanta.

“There are numerous digital guides on almost every theme and gain significant knowledge, but the philosophy was that nothing compares to a live, hands-on session alongside peers in game mastering, where there’s live engagement with seasoned educators and your peers often in a similar position and also want to level up their game,” explained Jason Carl.

Course Offerings and Ticket Packages

Game masters can select options ranging from just under $1,000 to $2,500, depending on the degree of interaction they desire with the experts. The entry-level option includes a choice of four workshops:

• Foundational Skills: Covers the fundamentals of managing a session.
• Story Arc Development: Centers on designing extended campaigns.
• Universe Design: Emphasizes the art of setting design.
• Career Building: Aimed at game masters who seek to understand more about the tabletop profession.

Every class includes two days of instruction divided across a weekend.

“The courses are created so that you leave with immediate practical outcomes, enhanced belief in your abilities, and a lot of usable tools,” Carl said. “It's more than presentations and they go beyond recorded content. These workshops that you can attend, learn from, and then head back to your table the week after and apply in your home campaign.”

Seasoned Educators

Most classes are taught by duo of instructors. Universe creation is taught by Monte Cook and Keith Baker, jointly leading the skill of universe design.

Professional development features four different teachers, such as Elisa Teague, an entertainment professional, and a pioneering DM. The additional faculty is intended to provide specialized information to participants with particular aims.

“Some of them aim to start their own real-play series and share their stories with the world, others aim to release and develop fresh ideas,” Carl stated. “Several only seek to ask, How do I get to be a DM at an event like an immersive experience? What capabilities that I need? Is it for everyone?”

Premium Packages

A $1,500 enhanced option offers access to a welcome reception, a starter kit, and a brief one-on-one appointment with a teacher. This represents the debut of the program, though the organizers has previously run similar events during breaks between adventures at their premium gatherings.

“It would be possible to organize an entire weekend just on office hours for professional dungeon masters,” Carl mentioned. “It's unclear if that’s the best use of each attendee's hours – I think the coursework and the lab work is extremely important – but I believe it’s going to be one of the most popular parts of the program.”

The twenty-five hundred dollar premium option includes an hour of one-on-one time and the opportunity to lead a session for several participants plus a teacher, who will then provide notes and coaching.

“The goal is for the faculty member to review whatever the DM is concerned with: I have difficulty with improvisation or I encounter obstacles in certain battle scenarios. Could I demonstrate a scene for you and obtain advice on what my strengths and weaknesses are?” Carl said. “Alternatively they want to obtain critique and advice on a specific world that they’ve been developing.”

Next Steps

Responses from the debut workshop will help determine upcoming academy workshops. Carl mentioned that likely modifications could include adding more office hours, making it longer to three days, or testing alternative workshop formats.

“I anticipate that we conduct these frequently,” Carl said. “I truly hope to see numerous academy events in a calendar year, in different cities, and in various nations. The feedback has been overwhelmingly favorable. We're extremely satisfied with current developments and I feel it would be fantastic to be able to organize these in conjunction with large gatherings.”