What makes The One Ring powerful?

[Silver Highlights]

I already tried Googling it, and while I found out alot, I never found any concrete information. I know about how it's supposed to be able to control all the other rings, but I still don't get how what those rings actually do. Sure I've read it has to do with will and domination, but none of it says how. Mind control? All seeing knowledge of something? Piss silver and s**t out gold? Nothing I research gives me any explanation as to how possessing one ring is supposed to give Sauron dominion over the mortal races.

[[ J a d e . D r a c o s ]]

I believe it was just the effects that it puts on people. It corrupts and drives people to do evil things. Smegol killed his friend out of desire for the ring. It manipulates and heightens the basic desire of greed, desire etc etc its not about throwing out lightening bolts or fire or weather control. It's just about corruption and manipulation of mans natural desire to the point of evil in the name of 1.

[Caerthakatha]

You are probably already aware that Sauron is immensely powerful — he's at the same tier as
Gandalf and the Balrog, essentially. He put all his evil and strength in the One Ring, to the point
where he was crippled and relied on the Ring for his strength. This meant that when the Ring was
taken from him and he was defeated, he was left barely alive, forced to exist as the Eye and to seek
out the Ring so he could recover his power. Because he put so much of himself into the Ring, he has
a connection to it, presumably on a spiritual and mental level. The reason why Gollum, Bilbo and
Frodo all struggled to bear the Ring and began to corrupt was that they were exposed to Sauron's
great evil on a level that is beyond mortals; Sauron is, after all, a demi-god who is extremely hard
to kill and has survived since the time of Morgoth.

The power in the Ring was also present in the other Rings, as he was heavily involved in their forging
and subsequent corruption. He linked them to the One Ring and made them conduits for its power.
His influence could reach the Ringbearers through their Rings and send them mad; the Rings were
meant to be tailored to the deepest desires of the wearer. For example, the Rings given to the Men
who would later become the Nazgûl gave long lives because they wanted to live forever. The Rings
gave them what they wanted, but at the price that it sent them mad. Sauron's influence in the Rings
meant that they developed an attachment and they were 'addictive', making the Ringbearers a guaranteed
source of controllable madness at the hands of a demi-god with the remote control, and a constant
source of torment for them through the Rings. They couldn't break away because they needed Sauron
to keep them alive and to keep them from going off the edge.

That's all I can remember off the top of my head, and I'm sure someone who's a better at the lore
than I will come in and correct me. TL;DR: Sauron is basically a drug-dealer for evil.

[Silver Highlights]

Caerthakatha

You are probably already aware that Sauron is immensely powerful — he's at the same tier as
Gandalf and the Balrog, essentially. He put all his evil and strength in the One Ring, to the point
where he was crippled and relied on the Ring for his strength. This meant that when the Ring was
taken from him and he was defeated, he was left barely alive, forced to exist as the Eye and to seek
out the Ring so he could recover his power. Because he put so much of himself into the Ring, he has
a connection to it, presumably on a spiritual and mental level. The reason why Gollum, Bilbo and
Frodo all struggled to bear the Ring and began to corrupt was that they were exposed to Sauron's
great evil on a level that is beyond mortals; Sauron is, after all, a demi-god who is extremely hard
to kill and has survived since the time of Morgoth.

The power in the Ring was also present in the other Rings, as he was heavily involved in their forging
and subsequent corruption. He linked them to the One Ring and made them conduits for its power.
His influence could reach the Ringbearers through their Rings and send them mad; the Rings were
meant to be tailored to the deepest desires of the wearer. For example, the Rings given to the Men
who would later become the Nazgûl gave long lives because they wanted to live forever. The Rings
gave them what they wanted, but at the price that it sent them mad. Sauron's influence in the Rings
meant that they developed an attachment and they were 'addictive', making the Ringbearers a guaranteed
source of controllable madness at the hands of a demi-god with the remote control, and a constant
source of torment for them through the Rings. They couldn't break away because they needed Sauron
to keep them alive and to keep them from going off the edge.

That's all I can remember off the top of my head, and I'm sure someone who's a better at the lore
than I will come in and correct me. TL;DR: Sauron is basically a drug-dealer for evil.

So its more about the feeling they get from wearing the ring than what little it does? Wow now I'm starting to see the Ring as an over-rated drug. All that glorifying about the ring's power sounds hollow now.

[Hunaja-Mesi]

the one ring amplifies the powers of it's wielder. whatever those powers may be.
it also takes complete control over the other rings, and the people that wear them.
in addition it can be used to mind-control anyone, but for that to work, the person it's used against, must be weaker than the person using the ring.

all of the above is shameful copying of wiki ~v~ it's been ages since i read the Silmarillion, so i can't remember if any of that was actually described specifically anywhere, and what other powers the ring of power may have granted. i'm sure it granted more than just invisibility, eternal life and possible mind-reading, for the person trying to master it. not just anyone can master it, though, but would become slaves of Sauron instead.
Sauron could basically enslave everyone with the ring.
if Frodo tried to use it on Sauron, he'd lose in no time.
same with pretty much everyone in Middle-Earth, save for Gandalf and Galadriel, perhaps.
but they were wise enough to know that the great power it would grant them would eventually corrupt them.

the three elven rings were in possessions of Galadriel, who used it's power to create the safe-haven of Lothlórien, and Elrond, who created Imladris, to which no evil power could enter, those places couldn't even be found. Gandalf had the ring of fire, and it was given to him by Cíndar in Grey Havens when he came to Middle-Earth, as he had a gift of foresight, and he knew it would be of great help for Gandalf to carry his many burdens, and help in his quest to free Middle-Earth of Sauron.
these rings were never meant to be used as weapons, and Sauron couldn't corrupt their owners (without the one ring), because he had never laid his hands on them.

i don't know if there's anything more described abt the powers, but not just anyone could've used it as a weapon on Sauron, they'd have had to be as great in power as he was.

[Miztea]

The Rings can actually give you power, or at least amplify your own natural abilities. There's something about evil that makes a person stronger in Middle Earth, but like said previously it does come at a price; you essentially sell your soul

The One Ring is Sauron's power and evil in concentrate. And Sauron was one powerful mama-jama. Don't let the lidless eye, wreathed in flame deceive you. He was able to convince not only Men, Elves, and Dwarves to trust him, but also Blessed, God-like beings to believe he was a 'changed man' emotion_facepalm you'd think they'd learn, /once you go black, you can never go back/ (yes I just made that joke)

Also, there is so much lore out there about the Elves, and like nothing about Dwarves. Seriously, what happened to the Dwarf Lords?

Basically everyone in Middle Earth just needs to re-think their relationship to any and all jewelry and shiny objects

[invalid-logic]

godmodding. mrgreen