Keith Baker and Keith Baker Are Teaching Sessions at Dungeon Master Academy
Beginning in 2018, Tabletop Vacations has been organizing immersive events where experienced game masters lead Dungeons & Dragons games in historic castles in the UK and at an American castle venue. The comprehensive packages are especially popular among long-time dungeon masters who rarely get the moment to participate as players themselves, and they often look for guidance from the pros on topics ranging from spontaneous storytelling and puzzle design to dealing with tough scenarios at the table.
In response, the coordinators began crafting a structured way to answer these inquiries, which led to the founding of DMU. The debut workshop is planned for early January 2026 at a university in Atlanta.
“There are countless online tutorials on any topic and gain significant knowledge, but the concept was that nothing truly replaces an in-person experience alongside fellow DMs, where real-time interaction with seasoned educators and your fellow DMs who are probably in the same boat and seek to improve their skills,” explained the program's dean.
Workshop Options and Pricing Tiers
Dungeon Masters can opt for tiers ranging from $995 to two thousand five hundred dollars, based on the amount of contact they desire with the professionals. The starting package includes selection from four classes:
- Foundational Skills: Focuses on the fundamentals of running D&D.
- Campaign Building: Focuses around designing extended campaigns.
- Universe Design: Concentrates on the art of setting design.
- Professional Development: Designed for game masters who want to learn more about the gaming industry.
Each course includes eight hours of instruction split over a weekend.
“The classes are created so that you walk away with tangible results, probably greater confidence, and numerous applicable methods,” Carl said. “They’re not just lectures and they’re not just static videos. These workshops that you can attend, absorb insights from, and then return to your group the next week and apply in your regular session.”
Professional Teachers
The majority of workshops are instructed by duo of instructors. Setting design is led by an industry veteran and the creator of Eberron, together instructing the art of worldbuilding.
Career building includes several experts, such as an author on gaming puzzles, Clint McElroy, and a pioneering DM. The expanded teaching staff is designed to offer targeted guidance to participants with definite objectives.
“Some of them want to launch their own real-play series and present their narratives with the world, some of them plan to produce and create new material,” Carl explained. “Several only seek to ask, How do I get to be a DM at a program like an immersive experience? Which abilities that I need? Can anyone do it?”
Higher Tiers
A $1.5K premium package provides access to a opening gathering, a introductory package, and a half-hour consultation appointment with one of the faculty. This marks the debut of the program, though the company has previously run similar events during breaks between adventures at their immersive experiences.
“It would be possible to organize an complete event just on consultation sessions for career game masters,” Carl mentioned. “I don’t know if that’s the optimal application of each attendee's hours – In my opinion the structured learning and the hands-on activities is extremely important – but I think it’s going to be one of the most popular parts of the program.”
The $2.5K platinum tier 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 aim is for the instructor to review whichever aspect is concerned with: Hey I don’t do well with spontaneous decisions or I feel stuck in this kind of combat situation. Can I run a scenario for you and obtain advice on my areas of proficiency and challenge?” Carl detailed. “Perhaps they want to obtain critique and advice on a specific world that they’ve been creating.”
Coming Developments
Feedback from the debut workshop will help determine subsequent DMU events. Carl said that possible changes could include expanding one-on-one sessions, extending the program to 72 hours, or testing alternative workshop formats.
“I hope that we host such events very often,” Carl said. “I truly hope to see multiple Dungeon Master Universities in a calendar year, in different cities, and in multiple countries. The feedback has been extremely positive. We’re very happy with the results so far and I feel it would be amazing to be able to organize these in collaboration with major events.”
