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A less-known rule (I never remember it since it's not in the main HP/SDC injury section at the start of most rule books) that's pretty interesting is that the discomfort/stiffness of having a bullet in you reduces PE/PE both 1 point per bullet lodged in your body. This is revealed under the 'heal wounds' spell when it mentions what happens if they aren't removed.

What I'm wondering is, when a character is shot by a bullet (and possibly other small projectiles, one would imagine having a shuriken in you would also be kinda uncomfortable, same with thrown knives/spears) how do we determine whether or not it lodges in the body (causing these penalties) or whether it passes through, out the other side?

However that's determined, I think it might be appropriate to have ups and downs to both. If a projectile passes through, there shouldn't be those penalties, but perhaps since there is a hole on 2 sides of you (entrance and exit) you bleed at twice the rate from the injury? So 2hp/minute in most cases, or 2hp/melee going by the magic bandage blurb in PF2nd.

I think it might also be cool to vary this a bit based on the nature of the projectile. 1/1 for the smallest calibur bullets, but maybe 2/2 for larger rounds (like rifles) or having arrows/throwing weapons in you, and maybe 3/3 for huge stuff like swords/spears?

Also perhaps 1 advantage about having a melee weapon (but not a bullet) in you is that it stops you from bleeding? Or maybe halves the bleeding rate, at least until it's removed? That would reflect how they tend to leave arrows in people until ready to bandage it, since removing it would speed up the bleeding.

Also for barbed stuff (like many arrows) requiring penalized medical skill rolls while removing to prevent additional damage (can't just pull it out like a normal bullet or straight blade) would also be cool. I almost think I remember seeing rules for taking damage on pulling out arrows in one book or another, but might be imagining it.

That's the kind of grittiness I'm happy to gloss over in my games.

--flatline

I guess Rabdos and Tolmet get to be manic pixie dream girls in those

My group uses Penetration Value a lot, and to great effect, in order to make ranged combat more visceral and dangerous. PV 1 and 2 each "Deflect off bone", while PV 3 "May lodge in bone". These rounds penetrate objects up to 30, 50 and 75 SDC respectively, inflicting half-damage to anything behind the object. So, for example, lets take a look at some PCs.

PC #1 has 25 SDC and is shot by a PV 1 bullet. The bullet does not lodge in his body, and passes through.

PC #1 is shot in the head by a PV 1 bullet. The local SDC of the head is even lower than the main body, but the bullet bounces off bone, so it inflicts damage, but does not lodge.

PC #2 has 51 SDC and is shot by a PV 2 bullet. The bullet lodges in the body.

PC #2 is then shot in the arm by a PV 2 bullet. The bullet passes through becaues local SDC is only 20% of main body.

PC #2 is hiding behind an interior light wooden door (say, 50 SDC), and is shot through the door with a PV 3 bullet. The bullet penetrates up to 75 SDC, so it passes through the door (inflicting full damage, but losing 50 SDC worth of its penetration value) and lodges in his body (inflicting half damage, but only able to penetrate up to 25 SDC).