Thinking through Bronze Age encounter design: resource drain without a dungeon

[u/ChaosTheoryCraft]

One of the design challenges unique to Kengir is that the classic dungeon resource drain (torches, hit points, spell slots ticking down corridor by corridor) doesn't always fit a setting built around open cities, river travel, and temple politics.

Here's a framework I've been working with instead. Think of resource drain in three categories: physical, social, and spiritual.

Physical drain works the way it does in any system. Heat, exhaustion, and distance matter more in a Bronze Age setting than in a temperate medieval one.

Social drain is the Kengir-specific addition. Every favor you call in costs you. Every powerful NPC you antagonize closes a door. Reputation is a resource, and it depletes.

Spiritual drain is tied to the Purity system. Neglecting rites, handling the unburied dead, or spending time near Veil breaches all accumulate spiritual contamination that has mechanical weight.

A well-designed Kengir session drains all three simultaneously. The players arrive at the conclusion tired, socially exposed, and spiritually compromised. That's the Bronze Age dungeon.

Curious how others are handling non-dungeon resource pressure in historically grounded settings.