Keith Baker along with Keith Baker Are Teaching Sessions at DMU
Beginning in 2018, a specialized event organizer has been running deeply engaging experiences where expert DMs manage fantasy roleplaying games in ancient fortresses in England and at a U.S. castle resort. The full-service getaways are especially popular among career game masters who seldom have the moment to participate as players themselves, and they often ask for tips from the pros on topics ranging from spontaneous storytelling and puzzle design to handling difficult situations at the table.
In response, the organizers began developing a systematic approach to address these questions, which led to the founding of DMU. The first session is planned for January 2-3, 2026 at a university in Atlanta.
“It's possible to view thousands of YouTube videos on almost every theme and learn quite a lot, but the philosophy was that nothing compares to an in-person experience in the company of fellow DMs, where real-time interaction with faculty instructors and your fellow DMs who are probably in a similar position and seek to enhance their abilities,” explained the program's dean.
Course Offerings and Pricing Tiers
Dungeon Masters can opt for packages ranging from $995 to $2.5K, depending on the degree of interaction they desire with the experts. The starting package includes one of four courses:
- Core Techniques: Teaches the basics of managing a session.
- Story Arc Development: Is dedicated to designing extended campaigns.
- Setting Creation: Emphasizes the crafting of environments.
- Professional Development: Designed for DMs who aim to explore more about the gaming industry.
All workshops includes eight hours of classwork divided across two days.
“The courses are designed so that you walk away with 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 workshops that you can join, learn from, and then head back to your table the following week and apply in your home campaign.”
Seasoned Educators
Many sessions are taught by a pair of experts. Setting design is led by an industry veteran and Keith Baker, jointly leading the craft of setting creation.
Professional development presents several experts, such as an author on gaming puzzles, an entertainment professional, and a pioneering DM. The expanded teaching staff is intended to deliver focused advice to attendees with specific goals.
“Various attendees aim to start their own live gameplay show and share their stories with the world, several aim to release and create new material,” Carl said. “Some just want 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?”
Premium Packages
A $1.5K enhanced option includes access to a welcome reception, a introductory package, and a half-hour consultation appointment with one of the faculty. This represents the debut of the program, though the organizers has previously run similar events during breaks between game sessions at their castle events.
“One could practically host an full two days just on office hours for career game masters,” Carl mentioned. “I'm not certain if that’s the best use of all participants' schedule – I think the coursework and the hands-on activities is extremely important – but I believe it’s going to be a highly favored parts of the program.”
The $2,500 top package provides an extended personal consultation and the chance to lead a session for a small group plus one of the faculty members, who will then offer feedback and guidance.
“The purpose is for the instructor to review whichever aspect is concerned with: Hey I don’t do well with improv or I feel stuck in this kind of combat situation. May I present a situation for you and obtain advice on what my strengths and weaknesses are?” Carl detailed. “Perhaps they want to get feedback and information on a particular setting that they’ve been developing.”
Next Steps
Input from the first event will help shape subsequent DMU events. Carl suggested that likely modifications could include expanding one-on-one sessions, extending the program to a longer period, or testing different seminar structures.
“I expect that we host such events frequently,” Carl stated. “I really want to see multiple Dungeon Master Universities in a calendar year, in different cities, and in various nations. The response has been really terrific. We're quite pleased with the results so far and I feel it would be fantastic to be able to do this in conjunction with major events.”