Keith Baker and Monte Cook Will Lead Sessions at DMU

Beginning in 2018, Tabletop Vacations has been hosting deeply engaging experiences where professional dungeon masters lead Dungeons & Dragons games in ancient fortresses in England and at Landoll’s Mohican Castle. These all-inclusive trips are widely appreciated among career game masters who seldom have the moment to participate as players themselves, and they often seek advice from seasoned professionals on topics ranging from improv and crafting riddles to handling difficult situations at the table.

In response, the organizers began crafting a systematic approach to address these questions, which led to the creation of the Dungeon Master Academy. The inaugural event is scheduled for the start of 2026 at Oglethorpe University.

“There are thousands of YouTube videos on any topic and learn quite a lot, but the idea was that there’s just no substitute an in-person experience alongside fellow DMs, where there’s live engagement with faculty instructors and your peers who are probably in the same boat and aim to level up their game,” stated Jason Carl.

Available Classes and Ticket Packages

Dungeon Masters can select tiers ranging from nearly a thousand dollars to $2.5K, according to the amount of contact they desire with the experts. The starting package includes one of four courses:

• Core Techniques: Covers the basics of running D&D.
• Campaign Building: Centers on designing extended campaigns.
• Universe Design: Emphasizes the development of worlds.
• Industry Advancement: Designed for DMs who want to learn more about the gaming industry.

Every class includes eight hours of classwork spread over a weekend.

“The classes are created so that you leave with immediate practical outcomes, increased self-assurance, and numerous applicable methods,” Carl noted. “They’re not just lectures and they go beyond recorded content. These classes that you can join, gain knowledge from, and then go right back home the next week and apply in your local game.”

Seasoned Educators

Most classes are taught by duo of instructors. Worldbuilding is guided by Monte Cook and Keith Baker, jointly leading the craft of setting creation.

Professional development presents several experts, such as an author on gaming puzzles, Clint McElroy, and a pioneering DM. The extra instructors is intended to deliver focused advice to attendees with specific goals.

“Some of them want to launch their own real-play series and present their narratives with the world, several plan to produce and write original content,” Carl said. “Some just want to ask, How do I get to be a DM at something like an immersive experience? Which abilities that I need? Can anyone do it?”

Higher Tiers

A $1,500 gold tier includes access to a introductory event, a welcome gift pack, and a 30-minute office hour appointment with a teacher. This marks the first Dungeon Master Academy, though the team has previously run comparable workshops during breaks between game sessions at their premium gatherings.

“You could almost run an full two days just on consultation sessions for expert DMs,” Carl mentioned. “It's unclear if that’s the optimal application of everybody’s time – I think the coursework and the hands-on activities is too valuable – but I believe it’s going to be one of the most popular parts of the program.”

The $2.5K top package offers an hour of one-on-one time and the possibility to run a game for five players plus an instructor, who will then provide notes and instruction.

“The goal is for the instructor to assess any element is focused on: I struggle with spontaneous decisions or I feel stuck in this kind of combat situation. May I present a scene for you and get feedback on where I excel and need improvement?” Carl detailed. “Alternatively they want to obtain critique and information on a definite universe that they’ve been developing.”

Coming Developments

Input from the first event will help guide subsequent DMU events. Carl said that likely modifications could include adding more office hours, lengthening the event to three days, or trying out different seminar structures.

“I expect that we do this very often,” Carl expressed. “I really want to see several DMU sessions in a single year, in various locations, and in various nations. The reception has been extremely positive. We're extremely satisfied with the results so far and I feel it would be wonderful to be able to do this in collaboration with big conventions.”