Keith Baker along with Monte Cook Will Lead Sessions at DMU

Since 2018, a specialized event organizer has been running deeply engaging experiences where professional dungeon masters run D&D games in ancient fortresses in the UK and at Landoll’s Mohican Castle. The comprehensive packages are especially popular among forever DMs who infrequently find the opportunity to participate as players themselves, and they often look for guidance from the pros on topics ranging from spontaneous storytelling and puzzle design to managing conflicts at the table.

In response, the planners began designing a organized method to answer these inquiries, which led to the establishment of DMU. The first session is planned for January 2-3, 2026 at a university in Atlanta.

“You can watch thousands of YouTube videos on virtually any subject and gain significant knowledge, but the concept was that there’s just no substitute face-to-face interaction in the company of fellow DMs, where direct communication with seasoned educators and your peers who are probably in a similar position and seek to level up their game,” noted Jason Carl.

Available Classes and Ticket Packages

DMs can choose from tiers ranging from nearly a thousand dollars to $2.5K, depending on the amount of contact they desire with the instructors. The starting package includes selection from four classes:

• Skill Building: Focuses on the basics of running D&D.
• Story Arc Development: Focuses around building persistent adventures.
• Worldbuilding: Emphasizes the development of worlds.
• Professional Development: Tailored to game masters who aim to explore more about the tabletop profession.

Every class includes multiple sessions of instruction spread over 48 hours.

“The courses are structured so that you walk away with immediate practical outcomes, increased self-assurance, and many practical techniques,” Carl explained. “It's more than presentations and they go beyond recorded content. These are sessions that you can attend, gain knowledge from, and then go right back home the following week and apply in your regular session.”

Expert Instructors

Many sessions are taught by a pair of experts. Worldbuilding is led by an industry veteran and the creator of Eberron, both teaching the skill of universe design.

Career building presents four different teachers, such as an author on gaming puzzles, an entertainment professional, and an early professional game master. The additional faculty is meant to deliver focused advice to students with definite objectives.

“Various attendees want to launch their own live gameplay show and share their stories with the world, several want to publish and develop fresh ideas,” Carl stated. “Others simply wish to ask, How do I get to be a DM at an event like D&D in a Castle? What capabilities that I need? Can anyone do it?”

Higher Tiers

A $1,500 enhanced option includes access to a opening gathering, a starter kit, and a brief one-on-one appointment with a teacher. This marks the inaugural DMU session, though the team has previously run comparable workshops during breaks between adventures at their immersive experiences.

“You could almost run an entire weekend just on consultation sessions for professional dungeon masters,” Carl mentioned. “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 too valuable – but I believe it’s going to be among the most sought-after parts of the program.”

The twenty-five hundred dollar platinum tier offers an extended personal consultation and the possibility to manage an adventure for five players plus a teacher, who will then give comments and coaching.

“The aim is for the faculty member to evaluate any element is concerned with: I struggle with improv or I get blocked in this kind of combat situation. Can I run a scenario for you and receive input on what my strengths and weaknesses are?” Carl said. “Or maybe they want to obtain critique and advice on a specific world that they’ve been creating.”

Next Steps

Responses from the debut workshop will help determine upcoming academy workshops. Carl suggested that possible changes could include expanding one-on-one sessions, making it longer to a longer period, or experimenting with varied class arrangements.

“I hope that we conduct these very often,” Carl stated. “I truly hope to see multiple Dungeon Master Universities in a single year, in various locations, and in various nations. The feedback has been extremely positive. We're quite pleased with the results so far and I believe it would be fantastic to be able to conduct this in conjunction with large gatherings.”