Monte Cook and Monte Cook Will Lead Classes at Dungeon Master University

Since 2018, a specialized event organizer has been organizing deeply engaging experiences where professional dungeon masters lead fantasy roleplaying games in old manors in England and at an American castle venue. These all-inclusive trips are highly favored among career game masters who seldom have the opportunity to actually play themselves, and they often seek advice from experts on topics ranging from improv and crafting riddles to handling difficult situations at the table.

In response, the organizers began designing a structured way to answer these inquiries, which led to the creation of Dungeon Master University. The debut workshop is planned for January 2-3, 2026 at an Atlanta campus.

“You can watch countless online tutorials on virtually any subject and learn quite a lot, but the philosophy was that nothing truly replaces an in-person experience alongside fellow DMs, where real-time interaction with faculty instructors and other game masters who are probably in comparable situations and also want to enhance their abilities,” explained the program's dean.

Course Offerings and Ticket Packages

Game masters can opt for tiers ranging from just under $1,000 to two thousand five hundred dollars, based on the degree of interaction they desire with the instructors. The entry-level option includes a choice of four workshops:

• Core Techniques: Covers the essentials of running D&D.
• Campaign Building: Is dedicated to crafting long-running games.
• Worldbuilding: Emphasizes the crafting of environments.
• Industry Advancement: Tailored to dungeon masters who aim to explore more about the tabletop profession.

All workshops includes multiple sessions of classwork split over two days.

“The courses are designed so that you walk away with usable skills, probably greater confidence, and many practical techniques,” Carl said. “These aren't simple talks and they go beyond recorded content. These workshops that you can join, absorb insights from, and then head back to your table the week after and put into practice in your local game.”

Seasoned Educators

Most classes are taught by duo of instructors. Worldbuilding is led by the founder of Monte Cook Games and a renowned campaign designer, both teaching the skill of universe design.

Career building presents four different teachers, such as a puzzle design specialist, an entertainment professional, and an early professional game master. The expanded teaching staff is intended to provide specialized information to attendees with specific goals.

“Certain participants plan to create their own D&D actual play and share their stories with the world, others want to publish and write original content,” Carl said. “Several only seek to ask, What does it take to be a DM at something like D&D in a Castle? What capabilities that I need? Is this achievable?”

Advanced Options

A fifteen hundred dollar gold tier provides access to a welcome reception, a introductory package, and a 30-minute office hour appointment with one of the faculty. This marks the debut of the program, though the team has previously run comparable workshops during breaks between game sessions at their immersive experiences.

“One could practically host an full two days just on office hours for expert DMs,” Carl observed. “I don’t know if that’s the best use of everybody’s time – I think the structured learning and the practical exercises is highly beneficial – but I think it’s going to be a highly favored parts of the program.”

The $2,500 platinum tier offers an 60-minute private session and the opportunity to run a game for a small group plus a teacher, who will then give comments and coaching.

“The purpose is for the instructor to assess any element is focused on: I have difficulty with spontaneous decisions or I get blocked in this kind of combat situation. Could I demonstrate a situation for you and obtain advice on where I excel and need improvement?” Carl explained. “Perhaps they want to get feedback and advice on a particular setting that they’ve been building.”

Next Steps

Feedback from the debut workshop will help shape future Dungeon Master University sessions. Carl suggested that possible changes could include adding more office hours, extending the program to 72 hours, or testing alternative workshop formats.

“I expect that we host such events frequently,” Carl expressed. “I truly hope to see numerous academy events in a given year, in multiple places, and in various nations. The feedback has been extremely positive. We're extremely satisfied with what we’re seeing and I feel it would be fantastic to be able to conduct this in partnership with large gatherings.”