Monte Cook along with Keith Baker Are Teaching Classes at Dungeon Master Academy

Since 2018, a specialized event organizer has been organizing immersive events where professional dungeon masters manage D&D games in ancient fortresses in Britain and at a U.S. castle resort. These all-inclusive trips are especially popular among career game masters who rarely get the opportunity to participate as players themselves, and they often ask for tips from seasoned professionals on topics ranging from improvisation and puzzle design to managing conflicts at the table.

In response, the coordinators began crafting a organized method to tackle these topics, which led to the creation of DMU. The debut workshop is scheduled for early January 2026 at an Atlanta campus.

“There are countless online tutorials on any topic and gain significant knowledge, but the concept was that nothing truly replaces face-to-face interaction alongside peers in game mastering, where direct communication with faculty instructors and other game masters who are probably in a similar position and also want to level up their game,” stated Jason Carl.

Available Classes and Pricing Tiers

Game masters can opt for tiers ranging from nearly a thousand dollars to $2.5K, based on the degree of interaction they desire with the experts. The base tier includes one of four courses:

• Skill Building: Covers the fundamentals of managing a session.
• Long-Term Game Planning: Centers on crafting long-running games.
• Worldbuilding: Emphasizes the development of worlds.
• Professional Development: Designed for dungeon masters who want to learn more about the gaming industry.

Each course includes multiple sessions of training spread over a weekend.

“The workshops are created so that you walk away with usable skills, increased self-assurance, and numerous applicable methods,” Carl explained. “It's more than presentations and they’re not just static videos. These classes that you can participate in, absorb insights from, and then return to your group the next week and implement in your local game.”

Seasoned Educators

The majority of workshops are led by two professors. Worldbuilding is guided by the founder of Monte Cook Games and a renowned campaign designer, jointly leading the craft of setting creation.

Career building presents four different teachers, such as a puzzle design specialist, an entertainment professional, and Hunter Fell. The extra instructors is designed to offer targeted guidance to attendees with specific goals.

“Some of them want to launch their own live gameplay show and present their narratives with the world, others aim to release and write original content,” Carl stated. “Some just want to ask, How do I get to be a DM at a program like an immersive experience? What capabilities that I need? Is this achievable?”

Advanced Options

A $1,500 gold tier provides access to a introductory event, a starter kit, and a half-hour consultation appointment with a teacher. This constitutes the first Dungeon Master Academy, though the team has previously run similar events 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'm not certain if that’s the most effective utilization of each attendee's hours – In my opinion the formal instruction and the hands-on activities is highly beneficial – but I think it’s going to be among the most sought-after parts of the program.”

The $2.5K platinum tier includes an extended personal consultation and the opportunity to run a game for five players plus one of the faculty members, who will then give comments and coaching.

“The aim is for the teacher to evaluate whichever aspect is focused on: Hey I don’t do well with spontaneous decisions or I get blocked in specific fight encounters. Could I demonstrate a scenario for you and receive input on my areas of proficiency and challenge?” Carl detailed. “Perhaps they want to receive input and guidance on a specific world that they’ve been developing.”

Future Plans

Responses from the debut workshop will help determine subsequent DMU events. Carl suggested that potential adjustments could include adding more office hours, lengthening the event to a longer period, or trying out varied class arrangements.

“I expect that we conduct these frequently,” Carl said. “I really want to see several DMU sessions in a single year, in multiple places, and in multiple countries. The reception has been overwhelmingly favorable. We’re very happy with what we’re seeing and I feel it would be amazing to be able to conduct this in collaboration with large gatherings.”