Keith Baker and Monte Cook Are Teaching Sessions at DMU

Beginning in 2018, Tabletop Vacations has been running immersive events where professional dungeon masters lead D&D games in old manors in the UK and at Landoll’s Mohican Castle. The full-service getaways are highly favored among forever DMs who rarely get the moment to actually play themselves, and they often ask for tips from experts on topics ranging from spontaneous storytelling and puzzle design to managing conflicts at the table.

In response, the planners began crafting a systematic approach to address these questions, which led to the founding of DMU. The inaugural event is planned for early January 2026 at a university in Atlanta.

“You can watch countless online tutorials on almost every theme and acquire valuable insights, but the philosophy was that nothing truly replaces face-to-face interaction together with fellow DMs, where real-time interaction with seasoned educators and your fellow DMs often in a similar position and also want to improve their skills,” noted Jason Carl.

Course Offerings and Pricing Tiers

DMs can select packages ranging from nearly a thousand dollars to $2.5K, depending on the level of access they desire with the professionals. The entry-level option includes selection from four classes:

• Skill Building: Teaches the fundamentals of managing a session.
• Story Arc Development: Focuses around designing extended campaigns.
• Worldbuilding: Emphasizes the art of setting design.
• Industry Advancement: Aimed at dungeon masters who aim to explore more about the tabletop profession.

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

“The courses are structured so that you walk away with usable skills, increased self-assurance, and a lot of usable tools,” Carl said. “They’re not just lectures and they exceed pre-recorded material. These classes that you can attend, gain knowledge from, and then return to your group the next week and apply in your local game.”

Seasoned Educators

Many sessions are led by two professors. Worldbuilding is guided by Monte Cook and the creator of Eberron, together instructing the craft of setting creation.

Career building presents multiple instructors, such as a puzzle design specialist, a podcast co-host, and Hunter Fell. The additional faculty is intended to provide specialized information to students with specific goals.

“Various attendees aim to start their own D&D actual play and present their narratives with the world, others want to publish and create new material,” Carl said. “Several only seek to ask, What does it take to be a DM at something like D&D in a Castle? Which abilities that I need? Is this achievable?”

Premium Packages

A $1.5K premium package offers access to a welcome reception, a introductory package, and a half-hour consultation appointment with an instructor. This marks the inaugural DMU session, though the company has previously run Castle Days during breaks between game sessions at their premium gatherings.

“It would be possible to organize an full two days just on one-on-one meetings for career game masters,” Carl observed. “It's unclear if that’s the most effective utilization of each attendee's hours – I believe the structured learning and the hands-on activities is highly beneficial – but I suspect it’s going to be one of the most popular parts of the program.”

The $2,500 top package includes an extended personal consultation and the opportunity to run a game for several participants plus a teacher, who will then offer feedback and coaching.

“The purpose is for the faculty member to evaluate any element is focused on: Hey I don’t do well with improv or I feel stuck in certain battle scenarios. Can I run a situation for you and get feedback on my areas of proficiency and challenge?” Carl detailed. “Perhaps they want to receive input and guidance on a particular setting that they’ve been creating.”

Future Plans

Feedback from the first event will help determine subsequent DMU events. Carl suggested that potential adjustments could include adding more office hours, extending the program to a longer period, or testing varied class arrangements.

“I hope that we host such events frequently,” Carl expressed. “I really want to see numerous academy events in a given year, in multiple places, and in various nations. The response has been extremely positive. We’re very happy with current developments and I feel it would be amazing to be able to conduct this in collaboration with large gatherings.”