Keith Baker along with Keith Baker Will Lead Sessions at Dungeon Master Academy

Beginning in 2018, a specialized event organizer has been organizing immersive events where expert DMs manage fantasy roleplaying games in ancient fortresses in Britain and at an American castle venue. The comprehensive packages are highly favored among forever DMs who infrequently find the chance to actually play themselves, and they often look for guidance from the pros on topics ranging from improvisation and puzzle design to dealing with tough scenarios at the table.

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

“There are countless online tutorials on virtually any subject and gain significant knowledge, but the idea was that nothing compares to an in-person experience in the company of peers in game mastering, where real-time interaction with faculty instructors and your fellow DMs likely in a similar position and aim to enhance their abilities,” explained Jason Carl.

Workshop Options and Pricing Tiers

Game masters can select packages ranging from $995 to two thousand five hundred dollars, depending on the degree of interaction they desire with the professionals. The starting package includes a choice of four workshops:

• Skill Building: Covers the fundamentals of managing a session.
• Long-Term Game Planning: Is dedicated to building persistent adventures.
• Universe Design: Concentrates on the art of setting design.
• Industry Advancement: Tailored to dungeon masters who aim to explore more about the tabletop profession.

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

“The workshops are structured so that you walk away with tangible results, enhanced belief in your abilities, and a lot of usable tools,” Carl noted. “It's more than presentations and they go beyond recorded content. These workshops that you can participate in, gain knowledge from, and then return to your group the next week and put into practice in your home campaign.”

Seasoned Educators

The majority of workshops are taught by a pair of experts. Setting design is guided by the founder of Monte Cook Games and the creator of Eberron, both teaching the skill of universe design.

Industry advancement includes several experts, such as Elisa Teague, a podcast co-host, and an early professional game master. The extra instructors is meant to deliver focused advice to attendees with particular aims.

“Certain participants aim to start their own real-play series and display their adventures with the world, others want to publish and develop fresh ideas,” Carl said. “Some just want to ask, How do I get to be a DM at something like D&D in a Castle? Which abilities that I need? Can anyone do it?”

Premium Packages

A $1.5K enhanced option provides access to a opening gathering, a introductory package, and a brief one-on-one appointment with one of the faculty. This marks the first Dungeon Master Academy, though the team has previously run comparable workshops during breaks between game sessions at their castle events.

“You could almost run an complete event just on consultation sessions for career game masters,” Carl said. “It's unclear if that’s the most effective utilization of all participants' schedule – 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 $2.5K top package offers an 60-minute private session and the chance to lead a session for several participants plus one of the faculty members, who will then give comments and guidance.

“The purpose is for the teacher to assess any element is focused on: I have difficulty with spontaneous decisions or I feel stuck in specific fight encounters. Could I demonstrate a scene for you and obtain advice on my areas of proficiency and challenge?” Carl detailed. “Perhaps they want to receive input and guidance on a particular setting that they’ve been creating.”

Future Plans

Feedback from the first event will help guide future Dungeon Master University sessions. Carl said that possible changes could include adding more office hours, extending the program to three days, or experimenting with different seminar structures.

“I expect that we host such events very often,” Carl expressed. “I really want to see numerous academy events in a given year, in various locations, and in multiple countries. The reception has been overwhelmingly favorable. We're quite pleased with current developments and I believe it would be wonderful to be able to organize these in collaboration with large gatherings.”