Monte Cook and Monte Cook Are Teaching Workshops at Dungeon Master University

Beginning in 2018, Tabletop Vacations has been organizing deeply engaging experiences where expert DMs manage fantasy roleplaying games in ancient fortresses in England and at an American castle venue. The full-service getaways are widely appreciated among career game masters who seldom have the opportunity to participate as players themselves, and they often seek advice from experts on topics ranging from spontaneous storytelling and puzzle design to dealing with tough scenarios at the table.

In response, the coordinators began developing a structured way to address these questions, which led to the establishment of DMU. The debut workshop is scheduled for January 2-3, 2026 at Oglethorpe University.

“You can watch thousands of YouTube videos on almost every theme and acquire valuable insights, but the concept was that nothing truly replaces face-to-face interaction together with other dungeon masters, where direct communication with expert teachers and other game masters who are probably in comparable situations and also want to enhance their abilities,” stated the program's dean.

Course Offerings and Pricing Tiers

Dungeon Masters can choose from packages ranging from $995 to two thousand five hundred dollars, based on the level of access they desire with the professionals. The base tier includes selection from four classes:

• Skill Building: Covers the fundamentals of managing a session.
• Long-Term Game Planning: Is dedicated to building persistent adventures.
• Universe Design: Highlights the development of worlds.
• Professional Development: Tailored to game masters who want to learn more about the roleplaying business.

Each course includes eight hours of training split over 48 hours.

“The classes are structured so that you depart having immediate practical outcomes, probably greater confidence, and numerous applicable methods,” Carl explained. “These aren't simple talks and they go beyond recorded content. These classes that you can join, learn from, and then go right back home the week after and put into practice in your regular session.”

Professional Teachers

The majority of workshops are led by two professors. Universe creation is led by Monte Cook and the creator of Eberron, jointly leading the craft of setting creation.

Industry advancement includes four different teachers, such as a puzzle design specialist, a podcast co-host, and Hunter Fell. The expanded teaching staff is designed to offer targeted guidance to attendees with particular aims.

“Various attendees want to launch their own live gameplay show and display their adventures with the world, several want to publish and write original content,” Carl said. “Others simply wish to ask, How do I get to be a DM at an event like an immersive experience? Which abilities that I need? Is it for everyone?”

Higher Tiers

A $1,500 enhanced option provides access to a opening gathering, a welcome gift pack, and a half-hour consultation appointment with a teacher. This represents the debut of the program, though the team has previously run comparable workshops during breaks between campaigns at their castle events.

“You could almost run an entire weekend just on office hours for career game masters,” Carl observed. “It's unclear if that’s the best use of everybody’s time – In my opinion the formal instruction and the hands-on activities is extremely important – but I suspect it’s going to be among the most sought-after parts of the program.”

The $2.5K premium option provides an hour of one-on-one time and the chance to manage an adventure for a small group plus an instructor, who will then provide notes and guidance.

“The purpose is for the faculty member to evaluate whichever aspect is concerned with: Hey I don’t do well with improv or I get blocked in certain battle scenarios. Could I demonstrate a situation for you and receive input on what my strengths and weaknesses are?” Carl detailed. “Or maybe they want to obtain critique and guidance on a particular setting that they’ve been creating.”

Coming Developments

Input from the first event will help guide future Dungeon Master University sessions. Carl suggested that likely modifications could include expanding one-on-one sessions, making it longer to 72 hours, or trying out alternative workshop formats.

“I hope that we conduct these frequently,” Carl stated. “I really want to see several DMU sessions in a given year, in different cities, and in various nations. The response has been really terrific. We're quite pleased with the results so far and I believe it would be wonderful to be able to do this in collaboration with big conventions.”