Wait I was under the impression there were more than just those two playing at the moment... Where'd Rika go?

She's only watching due to not being able to come up with a character to replace her Cleric. Everyone else is still with DM.

All this time with DM? Those poor bastards.

Wouldn't surprise me at all if Arlong was/will be DM's creation, but we don't yet know if they've started that arc while GM, Luke and Rika are finishing Baratie, or if they're on some miscellaneous noodle adventure.

"Backstory Time!"

Night at the improv table, anyone?

Theming is the best tool for improving anything. Honestly if you're decent at improv and you know what theme you want to use for a city town or character you can easily make a decent anything on the fly. I used this tool to construct a city in the middle of a session (whilst the PC's were attempting to figure out the finer points of constructing a ladder out of 2,000 feet of rope and 200 ten foot poles) and a weapon of unknown properties and origin that will surely spell doom for some one...or maybe no one who knows? Certainly not me, but the best of idea's will hit me in the heat of the moment, I'll laugh, and the PC's will dance a jig on a floor of knives.

I do not have a D&D (or similar) story to share, but I do have my favorite Whose Line is it Anyway? joke.

They are playing the game called Whose Line? where audience members write random lines on slips of paper that the cast members read aloud when they feel the time is right. The thing is that they don't get to see what is on the papers until they do so, and that's where the comedy comes from.

So the scene is that Ryan and Colin are Scottish warriors in the time of Braveheart about to do battle with the English and this bit of dialog happens:

Colin: (with a bad Scottish accent) It is at times like this that I remember what is that my father said to me!

Ryan: (with a worse accent) What is that your father said to you

Colin: (reading random slip of paper) I AM WOMAN! HERE ME ROAR!

Ryan: Your a woman?

Colin: (lifting imaginary kilt) You cann'a tell?

As long as the Backstories are not Naruto length, they're A-OK with me!

I mean, seriously. WTF Naruto?

The backstories in One Piece are the worst out of any series ever, they're just not forced into the story at any point. Oda was asked about a random nameless background character who showed up both in Alabasta and... Loguetown, I think it was. Oda replied with the guy's life story (He was visiting relatives). He's just really confident with "show, don't tell" and doesn't put anything into the story that doesn't need to be there.

Wait, are you complimenting or criticizing him? Because honestly, it's a little difficult to tell, as that statement could be interpreted either way

I like little things like that, myself. How do you explain a random generic NPC incidentally appearing in two different towns the main Heroes are visiting? Why, he's actually a high tiered member of the Thieves' Guild, well-being why the Rogue hasn't contacted them as to their whereabouts the past month or so! Or maybe it's a spy for the BBEG! Or even...just a normal citizen who traveled via caravan through the mountain pass while you were distract-- I mean fighting that gang of orcs, and he's here to meet his wife and newborn soon!

So many choices!!!

I'm complimenting him, but I mean... what kind of work ethic do you have to have? Every single character who has a name in One Piece has at least one page of backstory that's often only alluded to in the story. I mean, it's absolutely for the best, but I get tired just thinking about putting that much effort into a campaign.

Keep in mind this campaign has been his full time job every week for over 10 years, if he diddn't do this things would have fallen apart long ago