# How do I use the one ring to take over the world? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 20, 2012, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-use-the-one-ring-to-take-over-the-world/613396 "2012-02-20T04:56:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bootis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e8c25b/32.png) [@Bootis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootis)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-use-the-one-ring-to-take-over-the-world/613396/21 "2012-02-21T14:10:15Z")
> [@Folacin](#): > > Sauron miscalculated. He accidentally used Tablesaurons instead of Teasaurons ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2012, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-use-the-one-ring-to-take-over-the-world/613396/22 "2012-02-21T14:32:25Z")
> [@Folacin](#): > > The easiest answer is that Sauron put more of himself into the Ring than he knew (or understood). No one likely would purposefully put a critical amount of themselves into an artifact (even if they thought they’d never be separated from it). Sauron miscalculated. No, this is explained [here](http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ringfaq.htm#Q1-SauronWeaker). Sauron had to transfer nearly all of his power into the one ring, in order to master the other rings. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-use-the-one-ring-to-take-over-the-world/613396/23 "2012-02-22T10:29:51Z")
Am I mistaken, or isn’t Sauron dead? Doesn’t the ring work like a phylactery or horcrux, and the only reason he can come back to life is that it exists? That’s what I got from the movie, anyways. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-use-the-one-ring-to-take-over-the-world/613396/24 "2012-02-22T11:23:54Z")
No, Sauron, Gandalf, Saruman and others are more or less angelic beings and cannot die in the sense that humans do. They can be so reduced in power, though, that they’re nothing but malevolent shadows with no hope of ever returning to corporeal form. (Which is what happened to Sauron and AFAIK Saruman as well.) ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-use-the-one-ring-to-take-over-the-world/613396/25 "2012-02-22T11:38:49Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Am I mistaken, or isn’t Sauron dead? Doesn’t the ring work like a phylactery or horcrux, and the only reason he can come back to life is that it exists? > > That’s what I got from the movie, anyways. Not exactly. If Sauron hadn’t created the ring he’d still have been able to re-incarnate himself on the death of his physical body. However, the ring contains most of his native power. Sauron didn’t actually die when the ring was destroyed, but he was reduced to a state of impotence. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-use-the-one-ring-to-take-over-the-world/613396/26 "2012-02-22T12:49:19Z")
It’s very simple. 1. Employ the Underpants Gnomes to steal the Ring for you. 2. ??? 3. [del]PROFIT![/del] RULE! ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-use-the-one-ring-to-take-over-the-world/613396/27 "2012-02-22T13:12:37Z")
> [@Shooby](#): > > What’s the mechanism here? Does it just juice up your magic power? In that case, would it only work on wizards and other beings with magical power? > > If not, than what if someone like Aragorn took it? What would it do for him? Make him a better fighter? Make him more persuasive? Probably all of the above. Galadriels quote when she was tempted by the ring: “In the place of a Dark Lord you would have a Queen! Not dark but beautiful and terrible as the Morn! Treacherous as the Seas! Stronger than the foundations of the Earth! All shall love me and despair!” IOW, Aragorn would be even more of the most badass warrior ever. Galadriel would become some sort of screeching Elvish Valyrie. Gandalf would be a magnificant gleeming wizardly manifestation. People would be drawn to their power and glory as if they couldn’t imagine wanting to be nearer to anything else. Think of Baromir and his constant leering at Frodo and his ring. The trick is, it doesn’t ACTUALLY make you smarter or wiser or a better general. So you have all this awesome power at your command, (which you “would try to use for good” as Gandalf said). But it would be corrupted as you justify whatever means to reach your “good” ends. Eventually you will bite off more than you can chew, you’ll be defeated and Sauron gets his ring back. Kind of what happened to Aragorn’s great great ancestor. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-use-the-one-ring-to-take-over-the-world/613396/28 "2012-02-22T14:08:52Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Think of Baromir and his constant leering at Frodo and his ring. Sam would kill him if he tried anything. ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2012, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-use-the-one-ring-to-take-over-the-world/613396/29 "2012-02-22T14:14:23Z")
[quote=“Inner\_Stickler, post:7, topic:613396”] Sure, if that’s what Aragorn wanted. One of the traits of the Ring is to boost already innate capabilities. [QUOTE] Wow! Imagine how stubbily his beard could have been with the Ring! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-use-the-one-ring-to-take-over-the-world/613396.md?page=1)