Keith Baker and Keith Baker Will Lead Classes at DMU
Since 2018, a specialized event organizer has been hosting deeply engaging experiences where professional dungeon masters lead D&D games in ancient fortresses in the UK and at Landoll’s Mohican Castle. These all-inclusive trips are widely appreciated among long-time dungeon masters who seldom have the opportunity to participate as players themselves, and they often look for guidance from the pros on topics ranging from improv and crafting riddles to managing conflicts at the table.
In response, the coordinators began developing a systematic approach to address these questions, which led to the creation of Dungeon Master University. The debut workshop is planned for early January 2026 at a university in Atlanta.
“It's possible to view countless online tutorials on any topic and gain significant knowledge, but the philosophy was that there’s just no substitute a live, hands-on session in the company of peers in game mastering, where real-time interaction with faculty instructors and your fellow DMs often in a similar position and also want to improve their skills,” explained the dean of Dungeon Master University.
Course Offerings and Cost Levels
Dungeon Masters can select tiers ranging from nearly a thousand dollars to $2.5K, depending on the level of access they desire with the instructors. The entry-level option includes a choice of four workshops:
- Skill Building: Focuses on the basics of running D&D.
- Campaign Building: Focuses around designing extended campaigns.
- Worldbuilding: Highlights the crafting of environments.
- Career Building: Designed for dungeon masters who seek to understand more about the gaming industry.
Every class includes multiple sessions of instruction split over two days.
“The workshops are designed so that you leave with immediate practical outcomes, increased self-assurance, and numerous applicable methods,” Carl explained. “These aren't simple talks and they’re not just static videos. These are sessions that you can attend, gain knowledge from, and then go right back home the week after and put into practice in your home campaign.”
Expert Instructors
The majority of workshops are taught by a pair of experts. Worldbuilding is taught by an industry veteran and a renowned campaign designer, together instructing the craft of setting creation.
Professional development includes four different teachers, such as an author on gaming puzzles, an entertainment professional, and Hunter Fell. The additional faculty is intended to offer targeted guidance to attendees with specific goals.
“Certain participants want to launch their own real-play series and share their stories with the world, some of them aim to release and create new material,” Carl said. “Others simply wish to ask, What's the path to be a DM at something like a castle event? What capabilities that I need? Is it for everyone?”
Advanced Options
A $1.5K gold tier provides access to a opening gathering, a starter kit, and a brief one-on-one appointment with one of the faculty. This marks the first Dungeon Master Academy, though the company has previously run similar events during breaks between campaigns at their immersive experiences.
“It would be possible to organize an entire weekend just on office hours for professional dungeon masters,” Carl said. “I'm not certain if that’s the best use of all participants' schedule – I believe the coursework and the lab work is highly beneficial – but I suspect it’s going to be among the most sought-after parts of the program.”
The $2,500 premium option provides an hour of one-on-one time and the opportunity to run a game for several participants plus one of the faculty members, who will then provide notes and guidance.
“The purpose is for the teacher to assess whichever aspect is concerned with: I struggle with improvisation or I get blocked in specific fight encounters. Can I run a scene for you and receive input on my areas of proficiency and challenge?” Carl explained. “Perhaps they want to obtain critique and guidance on a specific world that they’ve been creating.”
Next Steps
Input from the debut workshop will help determine subsequent DMU events. Carl said that possible changes could include increasing consultation time, extending the program to three days, or experimenting with alternative workshop formats.
“I expect that we host such events frequently,” Carl expressed. “I truly hope to see numerous academy events in a calendar year, in different cities, and in multiple countries. The feedback has been extremely positive. We're extremely satisfied with current developments and I feel it would be amazing to be able to conduct this in conjunction with big conventions.”