Monte Cook and Monte Cook Are Teaching Classes at Dungeon Master University

Beginning in 2018, Tabletop Vacations has been hosting deeply engaging experiences where expert DMs manage D&D games in old manors in Britain and at Landoll’s Mohican Castle. The comprehensive packages are highly favored among career game masters who rarely get the opportunity to actually play themselves, and they often seek advice from the pros on topics ranging from improv and crafting riddles to managing conflicts at the table.

In response, the planners began developing a systematic approach to address these questions, which led to the creation of Dungeon Master University. The first session is planned for early January 2026 at Oglethorpe University.

“You can watch thousands of YouTube videos on virtually any subject and learn quite a lot, but the idea was that there’s just no substitute face-to-face interaction in the company of peers in game mastering, where real-time interaction with seasoned educators and other game masters likely in comparable situations and seek to level up their game,” explained the program's dean.

Available Classes and Ticket Packages

Dungeon Masters can select packages ranging from just under $1,000 to two thousand five hundred dollars, based on the degree of interaction they desire with the professionals. The starting package includes one of four courses:

• Foundational Skills: Covers the essentials of running D&D.
• Long-Term Game Planning: Focuses around building persistent adventures.
• Worldbuilding: Highlights the art of setting design.
• Professional Development: Designed for game masters who seek to understand more about the tabletop profession.

Every class includes eight hours of instruction split over a weekend.

“The classes are created so that you walk away with usable skills, increased self-assurance, and numerous applicable methods,” Carl noted. “They’re not just lectures and they go beyond recorded content. These classes that you can participate in, learn from, and then return to your group the next week and apply in your local game.”

Professional Teachers

Most classes are instructed by duo of instructors. Universe creation is guided by Monte Cook and a renowned campaign designer, both teaching the craft of setting creation.

Professional development presents four different teachers, such as a puzzle design specialist, an entertainment professional, and Hunter Fell. The expanded teaching staff is designed to provide specialized information to participants with specific goals.

“Certain participants want to launch their own D&D actual play and share their stories with the world, several want to publish and write original content,” Carl explained. “Some just want to ask, How do I get to be a DM at a program like a castle event? What capabilities that I need? Is it for everyone?”

Premium Packages

A $1.5K gold tier offers access to a welcome reception, a starter kit, and a brief one-on-one appointment with one of the faculty. This constitutes the debut of the program, though the organizers has previously run Castle Days during breaks between game sessions at their castle events.

“It would be possible to organize an complete event just on consultation sessions for expert DMs,” Carl observed. “I don’t know if that’s the best use of all participants' schedule – In my opinion the formal instruction and the lab work is highly beneficial – but I suspect it’s going to be a highly favored parts of the program.”

The twenty-five hundred dollar premium option includes an hour of one-on-one time and the opportunity to lead a session for five players plus an instructor, who will then provide notes and instruction.

“The purpose is for the faculty member to assess any element is focused on: I struggle with spontaneous decisions or I encounter obstacles in certain battle scenarios. Can I run a scene for you and get feedback on what my strengths and weaknesses are?” Carl said. “Perhaps they want to receive input and advice on a particular setting that they’ve been developing.”

Next Steps

Responses from the first event will help determine upcoming academy workshops. Carl suggested that potential adjustments could include increasing consultation time, lengthening the event to three days, or testing different seminar structures.

“I expect that we conduct these very often,” Carl stated. “I would love to see numerous academy events in a calendar year, in multiple places, and in different countries. The reception has been extremely positive. We're quite pleased with what we’re seeing and I believe it would be amazing to be able to organize these in conjunction with large gatherings.”