[MENTION=6785785]hawkeyefan[/MENTION]: Yeah, I guess. I think maybe Gond's just on my mind at the moment because the PCs in my Tyranny of Dragons campaign have been running around Baldur's Gate for the past few sessions, and he plays a fairly important role in society there - and there *is* actual evidence of technological progress in that city, since its port, at least, has definitely gone through a bit of an industrial revolution, what with its steam-powered cranes that run on rails and the like.
[MENTION=907]Staffan[/MENTION]: Yeah. I asked the same question over at Candlekeep, and someone else pointed out that the Realms had been going in a slightly more technologically-advanced direction under TSR, but it seems that WotC put a stop to that starting with 3e.
And yes, Gond is the described as being the god of craftsmen and such, not just invention, but the way he's described in the SCAG seems to put the emphasis back on the latter. For example: "Anyone who is crafting something might say a prayer to Gond to guide the work, but folk know that Gond smiles most brightly upon new inventions that others find useful." It goes on to talk about how Gond's priests "keep journals in which they record ideas, inventions, and innovations discovered in their travels, and take great delight in meeting fellow priests and sharing their finds ... Wandering priests turn their journals over to the resident scribes at such temples, who then record the priests' observations for posterity and the benefit of all."
This all makes it sound like invention is a big part of his dogma and that the Gondar want to make sure everyone benefits from their inventions ... but as far as I can tell, they've had no real effect on the tech-level of the setting.
Ugh. I know I'm overthinking it. I'll try to stop.
By the way, the SCAG seems to imply that Lantan has returned as a more magitech nation than it was before, so perhaps WotC has got plans to make the Realms a little more Eberronish in the future (or at least Lantan).