Keith Baker along with Keith Baker Are Teaching Classes at DMU
Since 2018, Tabletop Vacations has been organizing deeply engaging experiences where professional dungeon masters lead fantasy roleplaying games in ancient fortresses in Britain and at a U.S. castle resort. These all-inclusive trips are especially popular among career game masters who seldom have the chance to actually play themselves, and they often ask for tips from the pros on topics ranging from spontaneous storytelling and creating challenges to managing conflicts at the table.
In response, the planners began designing a structured way to answer these inquiries, which led to the creation of the Dungeon Master Academy. The first session is scheduled for January 2-3, 2026 at an Atlanta campus.
“You can watch numerous digital guides on almost every theme and acquire valuable insights, but the philosophy was that nothing compares to an in-person experience together with fellow DMs, where direct communication with expert teachers and your fellow DMs who are probably in a similar position and aim to enhance their abilities,” stated the program's dean.
Course Offerings and Cost Levels
Dungeon Masters can opt for packages ranging from nearly a thousand dollars to $2,500, depending on the amount of contact they desire with the professionals. The base tier includes selection from four classes:
- Core Techniques: Teaches the basics of leading a game.
- Story Arc Development: Focuses around building persistent adventures.
- Setting Creation: Concentrates on the development of worlds.
- Professional Development: Tailored to dungeon masters who seek to understand more about the roleplaying business.
Every class includes two days of training spread over two days.
“The workshops are structured so that you walk away with immediate practical outcomes, increased self-assurance, and numerous applicable methods,” Carl said. “They’re not just lectures and they exceed pre-recorded material. These are sessions that you can join, learn from, and then return to your group the following week and apply in your local game.”
Expert Instructors
The majority of workshops are instructed by a pair of experts. Setting design is guided by Monte Cook and Keith Baker, jointly leading the art of worldbuilding.
Career building presents four different teachers, such as an author on gaming puzzles, Clint McElroy, and Hunter Fell. The extra instructors is designed to offer targeted guidance to participants with definite objectives.
“Some of them plan to create their own real-play series and present their narratives with the world, some of them want to publish and create new material,” Carl explained. “Some just want to ask, What's the path to be a DM at an event like an immersive experience? Which abilities that I need? Can anyone do it?”
Higher Tiers
A fifteen hundred dollar gold tier provides access to a welcome reception, a introductory package, and a half-hour consultation appointment with one of the faculty. This marks the inaugural DMU session, though the company has previously run comparable workshops during breaks between adventures at their castle events.
“You could almost run an full two days just on office hours for professional dungeon masters,” Carl observed. “I'm not certain if that’s the most effective utilization of all participants' schedule – I think the formal instruction and the hands-on activities is extremely important – but I suspect it’s going to be a highly favored parts of the program.”
The $2.5K premium option includes an 60-minute private session and the opportunity to manage an adventure for a small group plus one of the faculty members, who will then provide notes and coaching.
“The goal is for the faculty member to assess whichever aspect is concerned with: Hey I don’t do well with spontaneous decisions or I feel stuck in specific fight encounters. May I present a scenario for you and receive input on my areas of proficiency and challenge?” Carl said. “Or maybe they want to receive input and information on a particular setting that they’ve been creating.”
Future Plans
Feedback from the first event will help determine future Dungeon Master University sessions. Carl mentioned that potential adjustments could include increasing consultation time, lengthening the event to three days, or experimenting with varied class arrangements.
“I anticipate that we host such events frequently,” Carl said. “I really want to see several DMU sessions in a given year, in multiple places, and in various nations. The reception has been extremely positive. We're quite pleased with what we’re seeing and I feel it would be fantastic to be able to organize these in partnership with large gatherings.”
