Eberron in a nutshell

[awayfarer]

It's always seemed to me that Eberron was meant to be fantasy 1920's/1930's sort of setting.

Aftermath of a massive world war
Giant post-industrialized cities
Trains and airships being main means of getting around.
Nazi analogs and rumblings of another great war coming years from now.

It's not perfect, but the "pulp" and "noir" inspirations for Eberron date to the 1920's and 1930's, so when it copies things from them for flavor, it takes on a lot of the trappings of that time.

I think the lack of guns and cars is what makes me think of it as an earlier era than the 1920's. Like you say though, it's not perfect. The "technology" level of the setting varies quite a bit depending on what part of it you play in and what items we're talking about.

 

[Remathilis]

Eberron is D&D in a post-modern light. It's strengths is quick travel to adventure, large organizations, lack of High Level NPCs (other than villains and a rare exception), lack of a metaplot, unpredictable alignments, and oodles of potential character hooks. Its weakness in general is a feeling of being too quirky for "traditional" plots to work and its a terrible place to start newbies. Otherwise, I love it.

 

[Glyfair]

I think the lack of guns and cars is what makes me think of it as an earlier era than the 1920's. Like you say though, it's not perfect. The "technology" level of the setting varies quite a bit depending on what part of it you play in and what items we're talking about.

IMO, it's designed to replicate the sort of adventures that were told in the pulps within a D&D fantasy setting. It has analogues for the sort of "technology" that is required to tell those sorts of stories, and doesn't for those that aren't.

Thus we have airships and lightning rails so we can have comparatively quick transportation and the chase scenes that took place there. We don't have guns because they aren't needed as a plot element (crossbow bolts and wands work just as well). Car chases weren't that common, and still can be replicated with what we have.

and its a terrible place to start newbies.

I disagree. I don't see any difficulties in starting a new player (perhaps a new DM would have difficulties). In fact, they might find it easier than the experienced player with their own stereotype of a D&D campaing is supposed to be.

 

[Celebrim]

I'm considering buying the Eberron Campaign setting. Can anyone explain it a a paragraph or two?

Early 20th century, except with a revolution in magic rather than technology. Otherwise, heavily borrowing from the real world in the same way that Forgotten Realms parallels historical Earth heavily.