Monte Cook along with Monte Cook Will Lead Workshops at Dungeon Master Academy

Since 2018, a specialized event organizer has been running immersive events where expert DMs lead D&D games in historic castles in Britain and at a U.S. castle resort. The full-service getaways are especially popular among long-time dungeon masters who infrequently find the chance to actually play themselves, and they often seek advice from experts on topics ranging from improv and puzzle design to dealing with tough scenarios at the table.

In response, the planners began crafting a systematic approach to answer these inquiries, which led to the creation of DMU. The inaugural event is set for early January 2026 at an Atlanta campus.

“It's possible to view thousands of YouTube videos on any topic and gain significant knowledge, but the idea was that there’s just no substitute a live, hands-on session in the company of other dungeon masters, where direct communication with seasoned educators and your peers likely in comparable situations and seek to improve their skills,” explained Jason Carl.

Workshop Options and Cost Levels

Dungeon Masters can choose from options ranging from just under $1,000 to $2,500, according to the amount of contact they desire with the instructors. The base tier includes selection from four classes:

• Skill Building: Covers the essentials of managing a session.
• Campaign Building: Centers on building persistent adventures.
• Universe Design: Emphasizes the crafting of environments.
• Industry Advancement: Designed for dungeon masters who seek to understand more about the roleplaying business.

All workshops includes eight hours of instruction divided across two days.

“The workshops are designed so that you leave with usable skills, enhanced belief in your abilities, and many practical techniques,” Carl noted. “They’re not just lectures and they’re not just static videos. These workshops that you can participate in, gain knowledge from, and then head back to your table the next week and implement in your home campaign.”

Expert Instructors

Many sessions are led by duo of instructors. Worldbuilding is guided by the founder of Monte Cook Games and a renowned campaign designer, together instructing the skill of universe design.

Industry advancement includes several experts, such as an author on gaming puzzles, a podcast co-host, and a pioneering DM. The expanded teaching staff is meant to deliver focused advice to participants with definite objectives.

“Certain participants aim to start their own live gameplay show and share their stories with the world, several plan to produce and write original content,” Carl stated. “Several only seek to ask, How do I get to be a DM at a program like D&D in a Castle? What are the skills that I need? Is this achievable?”

Advanced Options

A $1,500 gold tier offers access to a opening gathering, a introductory package, and a 30-minute office hour appointment with one of the faculty. This constitutes the first Dungeon Master Academy, though the team has previously run comparable workshops during breaks between game sessions at their castle events.

“It would be possible to organize an complete event just on one-on-one meetings for career game masters,” Carl observed. “It's unclear if that’s the optimal application of each attendee's hours – In my opinion the coursework and the practical exercises is extremely important – but I think it’s going to be one of the most popular parts of the program.”

The twenty-five hundred dollar platinum tier provides an 60-minute private session and the possibility to manage an adventure for five players plus an instructor, who will then give comments and guidance.

“The goal is for the instructor to evaluate whatever the DM is interested in: I have difficulty with spontaneous decisions or I encounter obstacles in certain battle scenarios. Can I run a scenario for you and receive input on what my strengths and weaknesses are?” Carl said. “Perhaps they want to get feedback and information on a specific world that they’ve been building.”

Future Plans

Input from the first event will help guide upcoming academy workshops. Carl mentioned that likely modifications could include increasing consultation time, extending the program to a longer period, or experimenting with alternative workshop formats.

“I anticipate that we host such events frequently,” Carl said. “I really want to see several DMU sessions in a given year, in different cities, and in various nations. The response has been overwhelmingly favorable. We're extremely satisfied with the results so far and I believe it would be fantastic to be able to conduct this in collaboration with big conventions.”