Monte Cook along with Monte Cook Are Instructing Workshops at DMU

Beginning in 2018, a specialized event organizer has been running immersive events where expert DMs manage Dungeons & Dragons games in old manors in England and at a U.S. castle resort. The comprehensive packages are highly favored among forever DMs who seldom have the chance to actually play themselves, and they often ask for tips from the pros on topics ranging from improvisation and puzzle design to managing conflicts at the table.

In response, the coordinators began developing a organized method to tackle these topics, which led to the establishment of DMU. The inaugural event is planned for the start of 2026 at an Atlanta campus.

“There are thousands of YouTube videos on almost every theme and acquire valuable insights, but the idea was that nothing compares to face-to-face interaction in the company of peers in game mastering, where there’s live engagement with seasoned educators and your peers who are probably in a similar position and aim to enhance their abilities,” noted the dean of Dungeon Master University.

Course Offerings and Ticket Packages

Dungeon Masters can choose from options ranging from $995 to $2,500, based on the amount of contact they desire with the instructors. The base tier includes one of four courses:

• Foundational Skills: Focuses on the essentials of managing a session.
• Campaign Building: Is dedicated to crafting long-running games.
• Worldbuilding: Highlights the crafting of environments.
• Industry Advancement: Designed for DMs who aim to explore more about the tabletop profession.

All workshops includes two days of instruction split over two days.

“The classes are created so that you walk away with usable skills, probably greater confidence, and many practical techniques,” Carl noted. “These aren't simple talks and they go beyond recorded content. These are sessions that you can participate in, gain knowledge from, and then go right back home the next week and apply in your home campaign.”

Professional Teachers

The majority of workshops are instructed by a pair of experts. Setting design is guided by the founder of Monte Cook Games and a renowned campaign designer, jointly leading the craft of setting creation.

Career building features multiple instructors, such as a puzzle design specialist, an entertainment professional, and a pioneering DM. The expanded teaching staff is designed to offer targeted guidance to participants with specific goals.

“Various attendees plan to create their own D&D actual play and share their stories with the world, others want to publish and develop fresh ideas,” Carl said. “Some just want to ask, How do I get to be a DM at something like a castle event? What are the skills that I need? Can anyone do it?”

Higher Tiers

A $1,500 gold tier offers access to a welcome reception, a welcome gift pack, and a 30-minute office hour appointment with one of the faculty. This constitutes the inaugural DMU session, though the team has previously run similar events during breaks between adventures at their castle events.

“One could practically host an entire weekend just on one-on-one meetings for professional dungeon masters,” Carl mentioned. “I don’t know if that’s the best use of all participants' schedule – In my opinion the formal instruction and the lab work is highly beneficial – but I believe it’s going to be a highly favored parts of the program.”

The twenty-five hundred dollar top package includes an 60-minute private session and the opportunity to run a game for a small group plus an instructor, who will then provide notes and coaching.

“The goal is for the instructor to evaluate whichever aspect is concerned with: Hey I don’t do well with spontaneous decisions or I get blocked in certain battle scenarios. Can I run a scenario for you and receive input on where I excel and need improvement?” Carl detailed. “Perhaps they want to receive input and advice on a definite universe that they’ve been developing.”

Future Plans

Feedback from the debut workshop will help guide future Dungeon Master University sessions. Carl mentioned that likely modifications could include expanding one-on-one sessions, extending the program to 72 hours, or testing different seminar structures.

“I hope that we conduct these very often,” Carl expressed. “I would love to see several DMU sessions in a given year, in different cities, and in multiple countries. The feedback has been extremely positive. We’re very happy with what we’re seeing and I think it would be wonderful to be able to conduct this in conjunction with large gatherings.”