Lodged Bullets: Medical Overhaul
Lodged Bullets: Medical Overhaul
Hey everyone! This is my first ever RimWorld mod. It’s a simple addition, but I wanted to add a bit more consequence to getting shot beyond just a standard bandage.
What does it do?
Now, when a pawn or an enemy gets shot, there’s a chance the projectile actually gets stuck inside them. It’s not just a flesh wound anymore — you’ve got a ticking clock.
• Surgical Extraction:
You have a limited window to get that pawn to a hospital bed and cut the projectile out.
• The Risk:
If you ignore it, the wound will escalate through multiple infection stages.
• Active Damage:
Once the infection becomes severe, the affected body part will take continuous damage until the projectile is removed.
• Shotgun Pellets:
Shotguns can lodge multiple pellets (1–5), each tracked as its own medical condition.
• Arrows:
Arrows can also become lodged and follow the same infection progression.
Infection Stages
The longer you wait, the worse it gets. Here’s how the severity breaks down:
Stage
Severity
Festering
20%
Inflamed
40%
Critical
60%
Septic
80% – 100%
Since this is my first project, I'm still learning the ropes. If you run into any bugs or have suggestions for balancing the timings, please let me know in the comments.
Q&A / Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is this mod compatible with Combat Extended?
Yes! As of version 1.1, full CE compatibility is included. Lodged bullets, arrows, and pellets work under CE’s projectile system.
2. Does this mod require a new save?
No — it’s fully safe to add mid‑save. Removing mid‑save is not recommended if pawns currently have lodged projectiles.
3. Can mod settings be changed mid‑game?
Yes. Severity speed, stage thresholds, and pellet infection speed can all be adjusted at any time.
4. Do pellets behave differently from bullets?
Yes. Pellets:
Can lodge multiple times (1–5 pellets)
Have slower infection progression
Are tracked as separate hediffs
5. Does armor affect lodging chance?
Armor still reduces damage normally, but if a projectile penetrates, lodging is handled by this mod.
6. Does this mod affect performance?
No — the system is lightweight and only runs logic when a pawn is hit or when a lodged hediff ticks.
Update / Changelog
V1.0
• Initial release
• Bullets can become lodged
• Infection progression system
• Surgery required to remove lodged bullets
V1.1
• Added full Combat Extended compatibility
• Added Mod Settings menu (severity speed, stage thresholds, pellet infection speed)
• Shotgun pellets can now get stuck (1–5 pellets)
• Arrows can now get stuck
• Improved severity progression logic
• Improved infection timing and stage alerts
V1.2
• Enhanced the configs menu
• Melees no longer cause bullets lodges
• Removed infection just causes damage
• Still works with combat extended
• Can auto sort now
• Does not require medicene and medical skill to remove lodges bullets now
V1.3
• Made charge bullets scar tissue, can only happen once per pawn though
• Fixed damage after going 100%
• Fixed the infection after going 100%
• Fixed Notifications
• Other various fixes
Future Plans
Here’s what I’m planning to add in future updates:
• Surgical Extraction System Overhaul
More detailed surgeries, including difficulty scaling, surgeon skill checks, and potential complications.
• Pellet & Fragment Tracking UI
A small medical tab widget showing exactly how many pellets/fragments are lodged and where.
• Lodged Shrapnel & Explosive Fragmentation
Grenades, IEDs, and explosions will be able to embed metal fragments similar to pellets.
• Armor Interaction Improvements
Armor will influence lodging chance more realistically — glancing hits vs deep penetration.
• Biotech Integration
Gene traits that affect infection resistance, pain tolerance, or healing speed.
• Customizable Lodge Chances
More sliders in the mod settings menu to tweak:
Bullet lodge chance
Arrow lodge chance
Pellet lodge chance
Infection speed multipliers
• Medical Alerts & Better Notifications
Clearer warnings when a pawn is approaching septic stages or when surgery becomes urgent.
• Compatibility Patches
Planned support for:
EPOE / EPOE-Fork
Vanilla Expanded Medical
Rimworld of Magic (lodged magical projectiles?)
More CE-specific projectile types
• Optional Hardcore Mode
For players who want a brutal experience:
Faster infection
Higher pain
Lodged projectiles cause bleeding over time
Surgery failure can push fragments deeper
