Monte Cook along with Monte Cook Are Instructing Sessions at DMU
Since 2018, a specialized event organizer has been hosting immersive events where professional dungeon masters lead Dungeons & Dragons games in ancient fortresses in Britain and at an American castle venue. The full-service getaways are especially popular among long-time dungeon masters who seldom have the opportunity to participate as players themselves, and they often seek advice from seasoned professionals on topics ranging from spontaneous storytelling and crafting riddles to handling difficult situations at the table.
In response, the planners began crafting a organized method to address these questions, which led to the founding of DMU. The first session is scheduled for early January 2026 at a university in Atlanta.
“It's possible to view thousands of YouTube videos on almost every theme and gain significant knowledge, but the concept was that nothing truly replaces a live, hands-on session alongside peers in game mastering, where there’s live engagement with expert teachers and other game masters who are probably in the same boat and also want to improve their skills,” explained the dean of Dungeon Master University.
Workshop Options and Ticket Packages
DMs can choose from packages ranging from just under $1,000 to $2,500, based on the degree of interaction they desire with the experts. The starting package includes a choice of four workshops:
- Foundational Skills: Covers the essentials of running D&D.
- Story Arc Development: Centers on building persistent adventures.
- Setting Creation: Concentrates on the art of setting design.
- Industry Advancement: Designed for DMs who seek to understand more about the gaming industry.
Every class includes multiple sessions of classwork divided across a weekend.
“The classes are structured so that you depart having tangible results, enhanced belief in your abilities, and many practical techniques,” Carl explained. “They’re not just lectures and they go beyond recorded content. These are sessions that you can join, learn from, and then return to your group the week after and put into practice in your regular session.”
Seasoned Educators
Most classes are instructed by duo of instructors. Universe creation is taught by the founder of Monte Cook Games and Keith Baker, jointly leading the art of worldbuilding.
Professional development includes multiple instructors, such as an author on gaming puzzles, Clint McElroy, and an early professional game master. The expanded teaching staff is intended to provide specialized information to students with specific goals.
“Various attendees want to launch their own live gameplay show and display their adventures with the world, others plan to produce and write original content,” Carl stated. “Several only seek to ask, What's the path to be a DM at something like an immersive experience? What capabilities that I need? Is this achievable?”
Premium Packages
A $1,500 gold tier offers access to a opening gathering, a welcome gift pack, and a brief one-on-one appointment with a teacher. This marks the debut of the program, though the company has previously run similar events during breaks between game sessions at their castle events.
“You could almost run an full two days just on one-on-one meetings for expert DMs,” Carl mentioned. “It's unclear if that’s the best use of everybody’s time – I think the structured learning and the hands-on activities is highly beneficial – but I believe it’s going to be a highly favored parts of the program.”
The twenty-five hundred dollar top package includes an extended personal consultation and the opportunity to run a game for a small group plus one of the faculty members, who will then give comments and coaching.
“The goal is for the teacher to review whatever the DM is concerned with: Hey I don’t do well with improv or I encounter obstacles in certain battle scenarios. Can I run a situation for you and receive input on my areas of proficiency and challenge?” Carl explained. “Perhaps they want to receive input and guidance on a particular setting that they’ve been building.”
Coming Developments
Feedback from the inaugural session will help shape subsequent DMU events. Carl suggested that potential adjustments could include expanding one-on-one sessions, extending the program to 72 hours, or trying out different seminar structures.
“I anticipate that we conduct these very often,” Carl expressed. “I really want to see multiple Dungeon Master Universities in a calendar year, in multiple places, and in multiple countries. The feedback has been overwhelmingly favorable. We're quite pleased with what we’re seeing and I think it would be amazing to be able to organize these in conjunction with large gatherings.”
