Monte Cook and Monte Cook Will Lead Classes at DMU

Beginning in 2018, a specialized event organizer has been hosting deeply engaging experiences where professional dungeon masters manage D&D games in old manors in Britain and at Landoll’s Mohican Castle. The full-service getaways are highly favored among forever DMs who infrequently find the chance to participate as players themselves, and they often ask for tips from experts on topics ranging from improvisation and crafting riddles to managing conflicts at the table.

In response, the organizers began crafting a structured way to answer these inquiries, which led to the founding of DMU. The inaugural event is planned for January 2-3, 2026 at Oglethorpe University.

“There are thousands of YouTube videos on any topic and gain significant knowledge, but the idea was that nothing truly replaces face-to-face interaction alongside other dungeon masters, where direct communication with expert teachers and your peers who are probably in a similar position and also want to enhance their abilities,” explained the dean of Dungeon Master University.

Course Offerings and Ticket Packages

Game masters can select packages ranging from just under $1,000 to $2,500, based on the level of access they desire with the professionals. The base tier includes selection from four classes:

• Skill Building: Covers the essentials of running D&D.
• Long-Term Game Planning: Centers on designing extended campaigns.
• Setting Creation: Concentrates on the crafting of environments.
• Industry Advancement: Designed for game masters who aim to explore more about the tabletop profession.

Each course includes eight hours of instruction split over two days.

“The classes are structured so that you depart having tangible results, enhanced belief in your abilities, and a lot of usable tools,” Carl explained. “These aren't simple talks and they’re not just static videos. These are sessions that you can join, absorb insights from, and then return to your group the following week and put into practice in your local game.”

Expert Instructors

Most classes are taught by two professors. Worldbuilding is taught by an industry veteran and the creator of Eberron, both teaching the skill of universe design.

Career building includes four different teachers, such as an author on gaming puzzles, Clint McElroy, and Hunter Fell. The additional faculty is designed to deliver focused advice to participants with particular aims.

“Some of them plan to create their own real-play series and present their narratives with the world, some of them want to publish and develop fresh ideas,” Carl stated. “Some just want to ask, How do I get to be a DM at something like an immersive experience? What are the skills that I need? Can anyone do it?”

Advanced Options

A $1,500 gold tier offers access to a introductory event, a welcome gift pack, and a 30-minute office hour appointment with one of the faculty. This represents the first Dungeon Master Academy, though the organizers has previously run Castle Days during breaks between game sessions at their immersive experiences.

“You could almost run an full two days just on office hours for professional dungeon masters,” Carl observed. “I don’t know if that’s the best use of all participants' schedule – In my opinion the formal instruction and the hands-on activities is too valuable – but I suspect it’s going to be a highly favored parts of the program.”

The twenty-five hundred dollar premium option offers an extended personal consultation and the possibility to run a game for a small group plus an instructor, who will then offer feedback and guidance.

“The purpose is for the teacher to review whichever aspect is concerned with: Hey I don’t do well with improvisation or I feel stuck in specific fight encounters. Can I run a situation for you and receive input on my areas of proficiency and challenge?” Carl detailed. “Alternatively they want to obtain critique and information on a specific world that they’ve been building.”

Future Plans

Responses from the first event will help guide subsequent DMU events. Carl suggested that potential adjustments could include increasing consultation time, making it longer to 72 hours, or experimenting with varied class arrangements.

“I anticipate that we do this frequently,” Carl expressed. “I truly hope to see several DMU sessions in a given year, in various locations, and in various nations. The response has been overwhelmingly favorable. We're quite pleased with current developments and I feel it would be amazing to be able to conduct this in partnership with big conventions.”