Dungeon Master University is Back in Session

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Last year saw the launch of the first-ever Dungeon Master University, a two-day symposium featuring a range of courses taught by professional DMs, actual play stars and tabletop RPG designers. The event, which also uses the official Dungeons & Dragons license from Wizards of the Coast, is operated by Tabletop Vacations, which is best known for its ongoing D&D in a Castle events.

Now, after a successful first year, Dungeon Master University is opening the books once again, having recently announced its new syllabus for 2027. The upcoming two-day event will once again take place in Atlanta, Georgia, and will run from March 12-13, 2027. It will also feature a new lineup of instructors, including well-known designers like Chris Perkins, Jeremy Crawford, Keith Baker and Monte Cook. You can learn more and register now on the DMU website.

So just what can students expect when the first bell rings for DMU? Below, we study up on all the details.

What is Dungeon Master University?

Dungeon Master University (also known as DMU) is a two-day, in-person, conference-style retreat focused on the art of running Dungeons & Dragons. The symposium is designed to help both beginner and experienced DMs elevate their skills in terms of worldbuilding, improvisation and managing play. It also includes advice on how to develop a long-term career in the TTRPG space.

Notably, the event uses the official Dungeons & Dragons brand license from Wizards of the Coast and is produced by Tabletop Vacations (which also operates D&D in a Castle).

There are four streams of learning:

• Skill Building: Covers the fundamentals of running D&D sessions, including player management, combat pacing, action economy and collaborative storytelling.
• Campaign Building: Focuses on designing long-form campaigns with strong narrative arcs, dynamic factions and evolving NPCs. The stream also includes tips on how to balance pacing and player agency.
• World Building: Dives into how to build immersive worlds with their own history, geography, cultures and magic systems. The stream also covers how to integrate lore into long-term campaigns.
• Career Building: Details how to design and publish original TTRPG content, including self-publishing, working with publishers, licensing, contracts, freelance rates, invoicing and intellectual property rights.

Courses are taught by a range of experienced professional DMs and TTRPG designers and run for two hours each morning and afternoon, for a total of 8 hours of instructional time. Seminars are 45 minutes, and are offered throughout both days of the event. Game Lab events take place in the evening and allow students to run D&D games with faculty in order to receive feedback. Students can also sign up for faculty-led

Who is Dungeon Master University for?

While the event is billed as a learning experience for DMs all levels of experience, the curriculum is geared more toward already established DMs looking to up their game and possibly get into the publishing, paid DMing and actual play streaming side of the game (given the cost and travel time involved, it’s hard to imagine someone who doesn’t have at least some experience with Dungeons & Dragons signing up for the program).

That being said, it’s definitely not a typical academic experience and is also meant to capture the same vacation vibes of events like D&D in a Castle.

Who are the instructors for Dungeon Master University 2027?

The DMU 2027 program includes the following faculty:

• Jeremy Crawford: A renowned game designer who served as the lead rules designer and managing editor for Dungeons & Dragons 5E (including the 2024 revisions) before joining Critical Role’s Darrington Press as Game Director.
• Chris Perkins: A legendary 20-plus year veteran of Wizards of the Coast and long-time Game Architect for Dungeons & Dragons, widely celebrated as the principal story designer for major modules like Curse of Strahd and as a prominent actual play Dungeon Master.
• Elisa Teague: A 24-year veteran of the TTRPG and board game industry, Teague has worked on hundreds of products, including Dungeons & Dragons.
• B. Dave Walters: A popular actual play DM, Walters has also worked for Wizards of the Coast and written and developed multiple TTRPG products.
• Kelly Lynne D’Angelo: A writer and professional actress for film and television, D’Angelo has also appeared as a professional DM in numerous actual play series.
• Beth the Bard: An award-nominated, platinum-selling TTRPG author (She is the Ancient) and professional, therapeutic Dungeon Master who has hosted over 1,000 sessions and founded TTRPG University.
• Keith Baker: Best known as the creator of the Eberron D&D setting, Baker has also worked for Atlas Games, Goodman Games, Paizo, Green Ronin and Darrington Press.
• Monte Cook: An industry veteran with over 30 years experience, Cook has worked on hundreds of TTRPG products and is the founder of Monte Cook Games.
• Steve Wrigley: An award-winning stand-up comedian and actor who has successfully bridged comedy and tabletop gaming with viral D&D content, live comedy-TTRPG shows, and regular professional DMing appearances.
• Mike Tinney: A veteran game designer who has been in the TTRPG industry since the 90s, he is best known as the former CEO of White Wolf Publishing.

Notably the “Dean” of the program is veteran designer Jason Carl, who has been in the industry for decades and has worked at TSR, Wizards of the Coast, White Wolf and Exile Game Studio.

How much is Dungeon Master University?

There are three tiers of attendance:

• Sliver Tier Registration ($995 USD)
  • One full two-day Academic Course
  • Access to the evening Game Labs (on a space available basis)
  • Access to open Faculty-led forum discussions on key DMing topics
• Gold Tier Registration ($1,500 USD)
  • One full two-day Academic Course
  • Premium access to evening Game Labs
  • Access to open Faculty-led forum discussions on key DMing topics
  • Admission to the VIP welcome reception the evening prior to the Academic Days
  • Gold Tier registration includes exclusive Gold Tier merchandise, not otherwise available in 2027 ($250 value)
• Platinum Tier Registration ($2,500 USD)
  • One full two-day Academic Course
  • Premium access to the evening Game Labs
  • Access to open Faculty-led forum discussions on key DMing topics
  • Admission to the VIP welcome reception the evening before the academic days.
  • Game Lab Review – run one game during Game Labs for 5 players PLUS one Faculty member as a player who will play in your game and give you professional notes/ coaching afterwards
  • Platinum Tier registration includes exclusive Platinum Tier merchandise, not otherwise available in 2027 ($375 value)

When does Dungeon Master University take place?

DMU will take place from March 12th to 13th, 2027. For those registering with the Gold or Platinum options, there is a Welcome Reception with faculty on the evening of March 11th. Students should plan to be at the event from Thursday, March 11th to Sunday, March 14th in order to be present for all programming.

Where does Dungeon Master University take place?

Dungeon Master University takes place Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Georgia. All Courses, Seminars, Presentations, Meals and Game Labs will take place on Campus. The Welcome Reception, for all students registering at the Gold or Platinum Tiers, as well as Registration Check-in for all students. All students will receive a train pass allowing them to travel freely between the hotel and the campus throughout the event.

Final Thoughts

While this type of event definitely isn’t for everyone given the subject matter and the costs involved, there’s clearly been enough interest to run DMU for a second year.

If you’re interested in attending the event this upcoming March, you can register now on the official DM University website.

More D&D News Coverage

For more from the world of Dungeons & Dragons, visit our D&D News page.

Subscribe to D&D Fanatics

Get exclusive D&D news, reviews and rules updates delivered right to your inbox.