The Gelt shock pistol is a standard sidearm used by Gelt forces, particularly among the Warrior Caste, during the invasion of Amargosa. Compact and brutal in design, the weapon fires high-voltage energy pulses intended to incapacitate or kill targets through electrical trauma rather than kinetic force.
In combat situations, the shock pistol requires multiple shots to reliably kill a human target. Field experience shows that it typically takes three shots to lethally incapacitate a human-sized opponent, as the energy pulses cause cumulative internal damage — progressively overloading the nervous system and vital organs. A single shot causes intense pain, muscular convulsions, and temporary paralysis. A second shot risks cardiac arrest or neurological shutdown. The third generally proves fatal.
An exception exists in cases of precision targeting. If the shock pistol is fired directly into a primate target’s mouth, the energy pulse bypasses exterior resistance and soft tissue dispersion, delivering its full charge directly to the brainstem and central nervous system. This results in catastrophic cranial trauma, causing the primate skull to effectively burst from internal overpressure — an immediate and gruesome death.
The weapon’s design favors psychological impact as much as lethality. Victims often fall writhing and screaming under the first or second shot, spreading fear among survivors and resistance fighters. For this reason, the shock pistol is both a battlefield tool and a terror weapon in the Gelt arsenal.
Notes:
- Fires high-voltage energy pulses designed for cumulative trauma.
- Typically requires three shots to lethally incapacitate a human.
- Single shots cause pain, convulsions, and temporary paralysis.
- Shot fired directly into a target’s mouth bypasses tissue resistance and causes catastrophic cranial failure.
- Standard-issue sidearm for Gelt Warrior Caste troops.
- Psychological weapon as much as a battlefield tool.
- Commonly recovered by resistance fighters and turned against Gelt forces.
Appearances: The Children of Amargosa, Second Wave, Storming Amargosa