Keith Baker along with Monte Cook Are Instructing Sessions at DMU

Beginning in 2018, Tabletop Vacations has been hosting immersive events where experienced game masters run D&D games in ancient fortresses in the UK and at a U.S. castle resort. These all-inclusive trips are widely appreciated among long-time dungeon masters who rarely get the chance to participate as players themselves, and they often ask for tips from experts on topics ranging from spontaneous storytelling and creating challenges to handling difficult situations at the table.

In response, the coordinators began crafting a structured way to answer these inquiries, which led to the founding of DMU. The first session is planned for early January 2026 at an Atlanta campus.

“There are countless online tutorials on virtually any subject and gain significant knowledge, but the idea was that nothing compares to an in-person experience together with other dungeon masters, where direct communication with faculty instructors and your fellow DMs who are probably in the same boat and aim to improve their skills,” explained the program's dean.

Available Classes and Cost Levels

DMs can choose from packages ranging from $995 to two thousand five hundred dollars, based on the degree of interaction they desire with the professionals. The entry-level option includes a choice of four workshops:

• Foundational Skills: Focuses on the basics of managing a session.
• Long-Term Game Planning: Is dedicated to designing extended campaigns.
• Universe Design: Highlights the development of worlds.
• Industry Advancement: Aimed at DMs who seek to understand more about the roleplaying business.

All workshops includes two days of classwork split over 48 hours.

“The classes are created so that you depart having immediate practical outcomes, probably greater confidence, and numerous applicable methods,” Carl noted. “They’re not just lectures and they’re not just static videos. These are sessions that you can join, learn from, and then head back to your table the next week and implement in your regular session.”

Expert Instructors

Most classes are instructed by two professors. Worldbuilding is taught by an industry veteran and Keith Baker, together instructing the art of worldbuilding.

Industry advancement features multiple instructors, such as a puzzle design specialist, a podcast co-host, and an early professional game master. The additional faculty is intended to offer targeted guidance to participants with specific goals.

“Various attendees want to launch their own D&D actual play and display their adventures with the world, others plan to produce and write original content,” Carl stated. “Several only seek to ask, What does it take to be a DM at an event like D&D in a Castle? What are the skills that I need? Is this achievable?”

Higher Tiers

A $1,500 premium package provides access to a opening gathering, a starter kit, and a 30-minute office hour appointment with an instructor. This represents the debut of the program, though the team has previously run similar events during breaks between campaigns at their castle events.

“It would be possible to organize an full two days just on office hours for professional dungeon masters,” Carl mentioned. “I'm not certain if that’s the optimal application of all participants' schedule – In my opinion the coursework and the hands-on activities 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 provides an hour of one-on-one time and the opportunity to manage an adventure for several participants plus a teacher, who will then give comments and guidance.

“The aim is for the teacher to assess any element is interested in: Hey I don’t do well with spontaneous decisions or I encounter obstacles in specific fight encounters. Can I run a scenario for you and get feedback on what my strengths and weaknesses are?” Carl detailed. “Or maybe they want to obtain critique and information on a definite universe that they’ve been building.”

Coming Developments

Responses from the first event will help guide subsequent DMU events. Carl suggested that possible changes could include expanding one-on-one sessions, making it longer to a longer period, or testing different seminar structures.

“I hope that we conduct these very often,” Carl stated. “I truly hope to see numerous academy events in a given year, in different cities, and in multiple countries. The response has been extremely positive. We're quite pleased with current developments and I think it would be wonderful to be able to organize these in collaboration with major events.”