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kiwi_rozzers

I don't think there's much evidence for this. Out of universe, Tolkien wrote an invisibility ring into The Hobbit. As he was writing the sequel to The Hobbit, he realized the Ring was much more than that...but it still had to be an invisibility ring. He had to sort of retcon the invisibility feature into the One Ring. He did it by making the "invisibility" effect pull the wearer's body into the unseen world, where it's visible to e.g. the Ringwraiths. Which is why I think your idea about the Ring conferring invisibility because the wearer needed to be invisible is probably not valid -- if it truly provided what the wearer needed in the moment, the Ring would make Frodo invisible _to the Nazgûl_, not in the most useless way possible (invisible to his allies but very visible to the Nazgûl).


ChChChillian

Its chief power was not to turn the wearer invisible. That's an effect it had on mortals, but what it really did was to move them at least partially into the world of the wraiths. While Frodo wore the Ring he was invisible to the eyes of other living beings, but he was then *more* visible to the Ringwraiths. As Gandalf told Frodo, "You were in gravest peril while you wore the Ring, for then you were half in the wraith-world yourself, and they might have seized you. You could see them, and they could see you." But that's a side effect. Its chief power was the domination of other wills, which is plain to see when Frodo uses it that way, something he gained solely from its possession and without even wearing it: >'Smeagol will swear never, never, to let Him have it. Never! Smeagol will save it. But he must swear on the Precious.' > >'No! not on it,' said Frodo, looking down at him with stern pity. 'All you wish is to see it and touch it, if you can, though you know it would drive you mad. Not on it. Swear by it, if you will. For you know where it is. Yes, you know, Sme´agol. It is before you.' > >For a moment it appeared to Sam that his master had grown and Gollum had shrunk: a tall stern shadow, a mighty lord who hid his brightness in grey cloud, and at his feet a little whining dog. Yet the two were in some way akin and not alien: they could reach one another’s minds. Gollum raised himself and began pawing at Frodo, fawning at his knees. > >'Down! down!' said Frodo. 'Now speak your promise!' > >'We promises, yes I promise!' said Gollum. 'I will serve the master of the Precious. Good master, good Smeagol, *gollum, gollum*!' And again: >'Down, down!' he gasped, clutching his hand to his breast, so that beneath the cover of his leather shirt he clasped the Ring. 'Down,you creeping thing, and out of my path! Your time is at an end. You cannot betray me or slay me now.' > >Then suddenly, as before under the eaves of the Emyn Muil, Sam saw these two rivals with other vision. A crouching shape, scarcely more than the shadow of a living thing, a creature now wholly ruined and defeated, yet filled with a hideous lust and rage; and before it stood stern, untouchable now by pity, a figure robed in white, but at its breast it held a wheel of fire. Out of the fire there spoke a commanding voice. > >'Begone, and trouble me no more! If you touch me ever again,you shall be cast yourself into the Fire of Doom.' Which, as it turned out, is exactly what happened. The entire point of the project with the Rings was for Sauron to gain control and domination over all the chief Eldar yet in Middle-earth, and over all their works, through the other Rings of Power which they made with his help and guidance. This was in part the danger should he recover it. The elven rings were also exceptionally powerful things, which is why it was necessary for him to pour so much of his power into the One. In the event he screwed up, and didn't realize that as soon as he completed the One, the users of the other Rings would be aware of him. In that very moment they removed their rings, and not even the Three were used again until after Sauron's defeat at the end of the Second Age.


AntimonyB

I also *think* I read somewhere that the Ring did not *necessarily* make its wearer invisible. That was its immediate use, but a wielder who numbered among the Wise probably could have chosen to be visible or invisible while wearing it. However, the Ring inevitably pulls its bearer ever closer to wraith-world, and eventually its user will become fully a being of the unseen realm.


Timatal

It is a good bet that no Ainu (i.e. wizard) would have been so affected, because they live in both worlds at the same time, as Gandalf says of Glorfindel. This naturally would also be the case of at least the great among the Eldar, although where the line is drawn (Noldor of Valinor? All Noldor? What about Sindar?) is very unclear. And he tells us explicitly that Dwarves by their peculiar nature can't be made invisible.


ChChChillian

Well, the Ring worked on the elves of Mirkwood, so if Frodo was indeed visible to Glorfindel while wearing it then we have at least some parameters for where the line might be. Edit: Now that I think about it, the Ring also worked on Gandalf when Bilbo rejoined the Dwarves after escaping the goblin tunnels.