What power did Sauron really have?

Something has hounded my thoughts time and again. Before the shaping of the ring (and even afterwards for that matter) what power did Sauron have to utilize. Other than strength of arms.
And for that matter, what powers did Gandalf have? I know how the movie portrayed it, but I don't readily believe that.
I would greatly appreciate any help you all could provide.

[Amarie of the Vanyar]

Sauron was already a necromancer in the First Age, as it is told in the Lay of Leithian [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

Not yet by Men enthralled adored,
now was he Morgoth's mightiest lord,
Master of Wolves, whose shivering howl
for ever echoed in the hills, and foul
enchantments and dark sigaldry
did weave and wield. In glamoury
that necromancer held his hosts
of phantoms and of wandering ghosts,
of misbegotten or spell-wronged
monsters that about him thronged,
working his bidding dark and vile:
the werewolves of the Wizard's Isle.
The Lay of Leithian; HoME 3

EDIT: Sorry, I missed your question about Gandalf [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]

About his powers it is said that as Olorin his main power was:

though he loved Elves, he walked among them unseen, or in the form as one of them, and they did not know whence came the fair visions or the promptings of wisdom that he put into their hearts.
The Istari; Ufinished Tales

[ November 12, 2003: Message edited by: Amarie of the Vanyar ]

[Mahal]

Sauron's power also was to change the heart and mind of people. If you read the Akkalabeth he gets the people to believe him, so Numenor would fall.

[Arwen Imladris]

Gandalf also had Narya, the red ring. Being a Maia, he had natural abilities that would seem magical to mortals, but he also had a lot of knowledge that he had to work for to find out.

Most of the power that both of the wizards had seem to come from doing incantations with the help of their staffs.

[Arvedui24]

I believe that Sauron's power was very great indeed, he was the lieutenant of Morgoth, his second in command and this certainly demonstrated his power or at least his malevolence. He was skilled in treachery which was one of his greatest assets: he coerced Ar Pharazon into sending a fleet to the Lords of the West and thus the downfall of Numenor, Sauron coerced Celebrimbor and the elves of Eregion into forging the Rings of Power. His power in coercion seemed endless, however your question is quite vague, what kind of power do you mean, actual physical power or the power of the mind, coercion and creating disharmony. Sauron was certainly a master of this, in addtion he created the master ring and tricked the elves, we all know how poerful the ring could be so i believe he did have power of all types.

[Morgoth the Great]

i remember reading somewhere as well that he had the foundation of Morgoth's powers when Morgoth was cast into the void, he didnt simply leave, but left is evil in the world. i'm not sure how verifiable that is, but it does seem that Melkor gave some, not all, power to Sauron.

[Mahal]

I doubt that because Morgoth at the end was weaker as Sauron. But yes evil stayed in Middle-Earth, i did not read the book but Arda was Morgoths ring... he poured his power in all of Arda. Sauron did this to only smaller, thats the one ring.

[Earendilyon]

The Ainur (Valar and Ainur) were children of Eru's thoughts. They were a kind of Archangels. So, they were very mighty: they even shaped Arda, the world, that is.
Among the Valar, Melkor/Morgoth was mightiest. He indeed put much of his power, might and evil in the very fabric of Arda.
Sauron was far less powerfull than Morgoth, but powerfull still. He put most of his power into controlling the peoples of Middle Earth, not in controlling the earth itself. So, in the end he was mightier than Morgoth, because his arm reached further and he controlled more. His inherent power was less, though.
Sauron created his Ring to channel and concentrate his power and to influence the Elven Rings. But since he put most of his power in the Ring, he would loose it if/when the Ring was destroyed. He never imagined though, that he would loose it, let alone that someone would want to destroy it and succeed in that. In the end, it was not someone who destroyed it, but fate (or Eru?) that let Gollum tumble and fall in the Crack of Doom.

[Elladan and Elrohir]

Responding to the very last thing you said, Earendilyon, it might've been neither.

Faramir cursed Gollum with "death, and may it find you quickly" if he proved false to his master.

Also, the Ring itself (or was it?) told Gollum that "if you touch me again, you yourself will be cast into the fires of Doom."

But, I of course believe it was the will of Eru, though it is notable that both of the above noted curses of Gollum came true.

[thephantomcredits]

as far as Olorin goes, did his power truly diminish without his staff, like Sauron without the ring? Does say anywhere what the connection is between him and the staff.