Exactly what power did the Ring of Fire give to Gandalf?

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

I am afraid I'm going to agree with both Boro and Mith here

First, I think the Ring increased the power of the wearer to manipulate with fire, as Mith said, it is with no doubt that the other Rings gave their bearers certain powers to manipulate with their realms.

But second and I think mainly, is what you have agreed on - in the "fire" terms - rekindling the spirits of others, and of the bearer. Gandalf's aid to the West was in supporting the resistance against Sauron, he did not use his power as Saruman did - or wanted to: he walked among people, here and there, and where the power of the Westerners was weakened, he rekindled the spirits (I just recall the same happened at Pelennor fields, literally). Remember Théoden (though it was after his re-birth), I can't think of a better "rekindling effect". It does not matter to what scale the powers came from Gandalf himself and to what scale from the Ring - actually, the Ring was more like "boosting" the owner's abilities, and here the Ring probably gave Gandalf the strength to do good (hence the temptation he speaks about when mentioning the One Ring - he knew that the One could maybe give him even more strength than Narya, but he was aware of the fact that it would lead him to falling to the Ring).

In the books, there are many moments when, I believe, we can see the work of Narya (for example I think the battle with the Nazgul at Weathertop, on Caradhras, against the wolves near Moria, meeting with Aragorn&co. in Fangorn, battle with the Nazgul attacking Faramir, stopping the Witch-king, response to Wormtongue etc), but it's never shown explicitely - as with all the Elven Rings, and with Narya the most, it remains hidden. In all the books, I believe, there is only one moment when we are told that the Ring is used, and that's the battle with the Balrog: "I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor." (though even here it's not explicite, but quite easily understandable from the words)

Originally Posted by Lord Halsar

Well, i always thought that it may have given him resistance to fire aswell.

I believe not. And please, I hope no one here is thinking in the cathegories of D&D or similar games. Narya was not a "Ring of Fire Resistance +70%" or anything like that. Concerning the fire itself, your argument about the balrog probably won't stand, since even before they fell, Gandalf was burned. And since we are not playing the 70% resistance here, the only possibility would be to protect from the fire at all, which is refutated by that.

Originally Posted by The White Rider

Long I fell, and he fell with me. His fire was about me. I was burned.