Suggestions for a mid level group (Eberron 3.5)

[Kintar]

So I find myself in a position (as the dm) of having a lot of adventure ideas, but I am running into problems with implementing them with an appropriate challenge for my players. Or probably better stated, I need suggestions on appropriate CR and adventure challenges for my group.

First the group is made up of:

Human Lv7 Ranger5/Eldean Ranger2: Dual wielder. The true point of issue. This player seems to laugh at adventures that would be challenging for the other players, and then claims I made a "too high" of an adventure if his char is "challenged."

Dwarf Lv 6 Monk: This player as are the others, seem to roll with what is given and argue very rarely. While the Ranger above has unofficially become party leader, the other players don't mind and seem to go with the flow no matter what.

Human Lv 5 Cleric

Half-elf Lv 7 Bard6/Dark Lantern1

Gnome Lv 5 Mage

The Ranger is best described as a player who has rped through countless types of roleplaying (Gurps/early dnd/Rolemaster/Chill and now this), and prides himself on being a great player. While not quite a rules lawyer, he does often cite things as being wrong or incorrect either because he knows some dnd rules, or because he cites the "real world and how it functions" as common sense and therefore common place in games. One good example of this is he does not like any rogues in the player partys (he feels they are always thieves) so no one has one. When I told him that the party would lack a trap finding person dungeons and such he began to tell us all how it is not hard for everyone to stand behind him while he leads point, and presses every block with a 10' pole, looks for all possible arrow holes, yadda yadda insisting that this was common sense regardless of his character not having trap sense or anything of that nature. I have so far just decided not to throw anything like this at him/them for fear of the game devolving into a rules argument, and the players not getting any fun from it.

Now that leads to my problem. His char has become so difficult to plan adventures for due to his strength, (and reluctence to see anyway he hasn't planned for anything but complete success) that I have trouble coming up with adventure/creatures for the party to fight that provide a challenge and fun for everyone else. Between his 4 attacks per round (which always seem to hit), His having the best gear (he ends up with the best gear and the other party members have slightly above average gear), his tried and true Standard Operating Procedures always implemented in any game hes played (like the dungeon example above) it leaves very little I have been able to come up with that could provide a challenge.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[NekoJoker]

Maybe this will sound... evil. But how about you slightly attack his weaknesses? it is not so diffiult and even can be roleplayed as an Enemy NPC that has been scrying on the group and been taking notes of their prowess. If the ranger is like the leader (and he also seems rather cocky) you can lure him into a trap where he may be exposed.

Rangers normaly have a few weaknesses, relatively low armor class (have a big fighter face him early on) low Will saves (maybe a few illusions? throw him off path, walls which are not walls pits covered with illlusionary terrain?) and since he is a TWF type he relies on full attacks quite often, Highly movile enemies will give him a headache (spring attack or enemies that ahve alternative move styles, like swiming, burrowing, flying heck even phasing through earth as the elementals do), the same goes for large creaturees with reach.

Trippers will make his life miserable and one big creature with improved grab will make it worth your while as you see him kicking and screaming from under a bear.

This is a little harsh but you will certainly be able to blow off a little steam while having the otrhe players save the rangers ass while he is obviously pinned under a grizly bear.

Have the other players be the real key to victory, it should not hurt his pride too much to see his companions saving his skin once in a while.

[Coidzor]

Well, throw magical traps at 'em. Nothing too lethal, per se, but enough that it wears 'em down. If they don't have anyone with trapfinding and they aren't progressing with detect magic and dispeling, then they're going to be defenseless without being able to detour around 'em, which would serve to funnel 'em as you desire.

[Mastikator]

Tuckers Kobolds? Though it does sound like he's precisely the type of player who would be able to get around that kind of obstacle.

Or maybe something crazy difficult. Like a nearly completely underwater dungeon crawl, with like, underwater traps, magically hidden via illusions. Like a wall that suddenly turns into a huge turbine that sucks you in and shreds you to a thousand tiny pieces. Mwa ha ha ha...

[gdiddy]

My solution:

Room with 15 foot ceiling. 1-2 driders on the ceiling with spiked chains or longspears.

Middle of the room, near an arming table covered with spears:

Grease trap. DC 26 Search. Only rogues can find it. It is literally what the player's handbook says. That is a rule in a game he agreed to play. A rule everyone accepts with their continued presence at the table. Now he is on the floor getting stabbed by driders.

"But common sense says that-"

"You're right, common sense says that a homicidal wizard who would build such a trap would shroud it in illusion, circumventing your brilliant 'poke everything with a stick' strategy. Another 8 damage, by the way."