Keith Baker and Keith Baker Will Lead Workshops at DMU

Beginning in 2018, Tabletop Vacations has been hosting deeply engaging experiences where experienced game masters lead Dungeons & Dragons games in ancient fortresses in Britain and at Landoll’s Mohican Castle. The comprehensive packages are widely appreciated among career game masters who infrequently find the opportunity to actually play themselves, and they often look for guidance from the pros on topics ranging from improvisation and creating challenges to dealing with tough scenarios at the table.

In response, the planners began developing a structured way to address these questions, which led to the establishment of the Dungeon Master Academy. The debut workshop is planned for January 2-3, 2026 at Oglethorpe University.

“There are numerous digital guides on almost every theme and learn quite a lot, but the philosophy was that there’s just no substitute a live, hands-on session together with fellow DMs, where direct communication with faculty instructors and your peers likely in a similar position and also want to enhance their abilities,” stated Jason Carl.

Workshop Options and Cost Levels

Game masters can choose from tiers ranging from just under $1,000 to $2.5K, according to the amount of contact they desire with the instructors. The base tier includes one of four courses:

• Core Techniques: Focuses on the fundamentals of managing a session.
• Story Arc Development: Focuses around building persistent adventures.
• Worldbuilding: Concentrates on the development of worlds.
• Career Building: Aimed at dungeon masters who aim to explore more about the roleplaying business.

Each course includes multiple sessions of classwork spread over a weekend.

“The classes are created so that you leave with tangible results, 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, absorb insights from, and then head back to your table the next week and apply in your local game.”

Seasoned Educators

Many sessions are instructed by duo of instructors. Worldbuilding is guided by the founder of Monte Cook Games and Keith Baker, both teaching the art of worldbuilding.

Professional development includes several experts, such as an author on gaming puzzles, an entertainment professional, and a pioneering DM. The extra instructors is designed to offer targeted guidance to attendees with particular aims.

“Some of them plan to create their own D&D actual play and present their narratives with the world, several plan to produce and write original content,” Carl explained. “Others simply wish to ask, How do I get to be a DM at an event like a castle event? What capabilities that I need? Can anyone do it?”

Higher Tiers

A $1,500 enhanced option offers access to a opening gathering, a introductory package, and a brief one-on-one appointment with one of the faculty. This represents the inaugural DMU session, though the company has previously run Castle Days during breaks between adventures at their immersive experiences.

“One could practically host an entire weekend just on one-on-one meetings for expert DMs,” Carl observed. “I don’t know if that’s the optimal application of everybody’s time – I believe the structured learning and the lab work is extremely important – but I think it’s going to be a highly favored parts of the program.”

The $2.5K platinum tier offers an hour of one-on-one time and the opportunity to run a game for five players plus an instructor, who will then offer feedback and instruction.

“The goal is for the teacher to review any element is focused on: I struggle with spontaneous decisions or I feel stuck in specific fight encounters. May I present a scene for you and obtain advice on what my strengths and weaknesses are?” Carl detailed. “Perhaps they want to obtain critique and information on a definite universe that they’ve been building.”

Coming Developments

Input from the first event will help shape subsequent DMU events. Carl mentioned that likely modifications could include increasing consultation time, extending the program to a longer period, or trying out varied class arrangements.

“I anticipate that we host such events regularly,” Carl expressed. “I really want to see multiple Dungeon Master Universities in a calendar year, in different cities, and in multiple countries. The response has been overwhelmingly favorable. We're quite pleased with the results so far and I think it would be wonderful to be able to organize these in partnership with major events.”