The Ring of Sauron

[Lord of Angmar]

It was through the One Ring that Sauron was able to come back, even though his body was destroyed.

He became disincarnate as a direct result of the Ring. If it were not for the Ring, his body probably would never have even been destroyed.

I agree with much of your post, Iarhen, in that I do believe that the Ring made Sauron militarily mightier. However, couldn't he have put less of himself into the Ring? The bearers of the Elven Rings were not bound to their rings, and would not be destroyed if the Three were destroyed, and yet their Rings had powers and virtues. Could Sauron not have made such a Ring, that had 'magical' powers but that was not actually a part of his being?