Keith Baker and Keith Baker Will Lead Workshops at Dungeon Master University
Beginning in 2018, Tabletop Vacations has been hosting immersive events where professional dungeon masters manage Dungeons & Dragons games in old manors in Britain and at a U.S. castle resort. The comprehensive packages are highly favored among forever DMs who infrequently find the chance to participate as players themselves, and they often look for guidance from seasoned professionals on topics ranging from spontaneous storytelling and crafting riddles to dealing with tough scenarios at the table.
In response, the coordinators began crafting a structured way to address these questions, which led to the founding of DMU. The debut workshop is planned for January 2-3, 2026 at a university in Atlanta.
“You can watch numerous digital guides on almost every theme and acquire valuable insights, but the concept was that nothing truly replaces an in-person experience in the company of other dungeon masters, where real-time interaction with seasoned educators and your fellow DMs often in comparable situations and also want to level up their game,” explained Jason Carl.
Available Classes and Pricing Tiers
DMs can choose from packages ranging from nearly a thousand dollars to $2,500, depending on the level of access they desire with the experts. The starting package includes selection from four classes:
- Foundational Skills: Focuses on the fundamentals of running D&D.
- Story Arc Development: Centers on designing extended campaigns.
- Worldbuilding: Emphasizes the development of worlds.
- Industry Advancement: Aimed at game masters who want to learn more about the tabletop profession.
Every class includes eight hours of training spread over 48 hours.
“The workshops are created so that you leave with usable skills, increased self-assurance, and numerous applicable methods,” Carl said. “It's more than presentations and they’re not just static videos. These classes that you can attend, gain knowledge from, and then head back to your table the week after and put into practice in your regular session.”
Professional Teachers
The majority of workshops are instructed by a pair of experts. Universe creation is taught by the founder of Monte Cook Games and Keith Baker, both teaching the skill of universe design.
Career building features multiple instructors, such as Elisa Teague, a podcast co-host, and an early professional game master. The expanded teaching staff is designed to deliver focused advice to participants with particular aims.
“Some of them plan to create their own real-play series and present their narratives with the world, several plan to produce and create new material,” Carl said. “Others simply wish to ask, What does it take to be a DM at an event like a castle event? Which abilities that I need? Can anyone do it?”
Advanced Options
A fifteen hundred dollar gold tier includes access to a introductory event, a introductory package, and a brief one-on-one appointment with a teacher. This constitutes the debut of the program, though the team has previously run comparable workshops during breaks between campaigns at their immersive experiences.
“One could practically host an entire weekend just on one-on-one meetings for expert DMs,” Carl mentioned. “It's unclear if that’s the most effective utilization of all participants' schedule – I believe the formal instruction and the lab work is too valuable – but I believe it’s going to be among the most sought-after parts of the program.”
The twenty-five hundred dollar platinum tier includes an hour of one-on-one time and the possibility to manage an adventure for five players plus one of the faculty members, who will then offer feedback and guidance.
“The purpose is for the teacher to evaluate any element is concerned with: Hey I don’t do well with improv or I encounter obstacles in specific fight encounters. Could I demonstrate a scenario for you and obtain advice on where I excel and need improvement?” Carl said. “Or maybe they want to get feedback and advice on a definite universe that they’ve been developing.”
Next Steps
Responses from the inaugural session will help determine subsequent DMU events. Carl said that potential adjustments could include increasing consultation time, lengthening the event to a longer period, or testing alternative workshop formats.
“I expect that we host such events regularly,” Carl said. “I really want to see several DMU sessions in a single year, in different cities, and in multiple countries. The response has been extremely positive. We’re very happy with what we’re seeing and I feel it would be wonderful to be able to do this in partnership with major events.”