Beginning in 2018, a specialized event organizer has been running immersive events where expert DMs run Dungeons & Dragons games in historic castles in the UK and at an American castle venue. The full-service getaways are highly favored among forever DMs who seldom have the chance to join in the game themselves, and they often seek advice from experts on topics ranging from improv and puzzle design to handling difficult situations at the table.
In response, the organizers began developing a structured way to tackle these topics, which led to the establishment of Dungeon Master University. The first session is scheduled for the start of 2026 at a university in Atlanta.
“It's possible to view thousands of YouTube videos on any topic and learn quite a lot, but the idea was that there’s just no substitute an in-person experience in the company of other dungeon masters, where direct communication with faculty instructors and your peers who are probably in a similar position and aim to enhance their abilities,” noted Jason Carl.
Dungeon 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 starting package includes selection from four classes:
Every class includes eight hours of classwork divided across two days.
“The courses are created so that you depart having usable skills, probably greater confidence, and a lot of usable tools,” Carl explained. “They’re not just lectures and they go beyond recorded content. These are sessions that you can attend, learn from, and then go right back home the week after and implement in your regular session.”
Most classes are led by a pair of experts. Universe creation is guided by Monte Cook and Keith Baker, together instructing the craft of setting creation.
Professional development presents multiple instructors, such as Elisa Teague, a podcast co-host, and an early professional game master. The expanded teaching staff is designed to offer targeted guidance to students with definite objectives.
“Some of them aim to start their own D&D actual play and present their narratives with the world, several want to publish and develop fresh ideas,” Carl explained. “Others simply wish to ask, What does it take to be a DM at something like an immersive experience? Which abilities that I need? Is it for everyone?”
A $1.5K premium package provides access to a introductory event, a starter kit, and a 30-minute office hour appointment with a teacher. This represents the inaugural DMU session, though the team has previously run similar events during breaks between campaigns at their premium gatherings.
“You could almost run an full two days just on one-on-one meetings for professional dungeon masters,” Carl observed. “It's unclear if that’s the optimal application of everybody’s time – I believe the structured learning and the lab work is too valuable – but I think it’s going to be a highly favored parts of the program.”
The $2,500 platinum tier offers an 60-minute private session and the opportunity to run a game for five players plus a teacher, who will then provide notes and instruction.
“The goal is for the teacher to assess any element is concerned with: I struggle with improvisation or I encounter obstacles in specific fight encounters. Can I run a scenario for you and receive input on what my strengths and weaknesses are?” Carl explained. “Alternatively they want to get feedback and information on a definite universe that they’ve been creating.”
Feedback from the inaugural session will help guide subsequent DMU events. Carl mentioned that potential adjustments could include expanding one-on-one sessions, making it longer to 72 hours, or trying out different seminar structures.
“I expect that we do this frequently,” Carl stated. “I would love to see several DMU sessions in a given year, in multiple places, and in different countries. The response has been really terrific. We’re very happy with the results so far and I feel it would be wonderful to be able to do this in partnership with large gatherings.”
A tech enthusiast and gaming aficionado with over a decade of experience in digital media and content creation.
