GM Seeking Advice on Balancing Encounters

[Drakedragon]

So I've been DMing my first campaign for a while now and I'm having some issues with balancing encounters. I've got a full party of players, and they were given two choices: to roll two sets of stats and pick the one they liked, or to use an array. Most of my players went for the array, except for the Sorcerer/Paladin player and he rolled exceptionally well for both of them (I witnessed the rolls, so I know no fudging was involved and I don't think this player would do that kind of thing, despite his power-gaming tendencies). The Paladin is severely powergamed, though not to the extent it could be (he's not using a bigger weapon or finding every little way he can to stack on the damage, for example).
- Human Paladin that is a melee combat monster, even against non-evil enemies. Wields a halberd and Power Attack Cleaves (if evil, Smite Evil). Complication number 1.
- Human Ranger spec'd for ranged fighting, and a touch of two-weapon fighting as backup. Absolutely Boromir's anything she sees. Wields composite longbow. Complication number 2.
- Half-elf Sorceress with Fire Elemental Bloodline. Aggressively built Sorceress (same player as Paladin, due to losing a party member that had too much going on to keep playing. Sorceress is original character, Paladin came in later after the loss of melee fighter). Not a huge problem to deal with, but likes to use Suffocation and similar save-or-die spells.
- Half-elf Cleric of Saranrae that mostly spends her actions healing or using buff spells. Doesn't go into melee much, and has only used her offensive spells a couple times. Complication number 3, though for a different reason.
- Dwarven Rogue, with a couple levels of Monk for flavor. Fragile in melee, but if he can get in position, of course does his sneak-attack damage. Not a huge problem.

The Paladin and the Ranger are my main problem, because they make balancing encounters tough. The Paladin especially. Because if I send enemies at them that could seriously challenge the Paladin, the monster in question largely seems to marginalize the other characters. If I send enemies that's more properly balanced for their party configuration, the Paladin and Ranger shred them. Sorceress is only a problem where boss battles or other single-enemy encounters are concerned because of spell selection. She does have fireball and lightning bolt, but doesn't actually use them as often as one would think.

As for the cleric, I'm having a hard time engaging her in the combat. She never complains, but I feel bad that she seems to spend most if not all of combat healing her allies, rather than using the combat spells I know she likes to choose (Flame Strike being her favorite). Recently she found a Disruption Mace (Mace preferred weapon, despite Scimitar being Saranrae's thing).

So I need some help here.

The major enemies they're facing the most are devils and undead (though rarely in the same encounter) because they're dealing with agents that serve Asmodeus, and one of them is an Orc Lich that commands a legion of undead. Mortal enemies working in tandem with them are sprinkled in and they've done a few side things here and there where their enemies were all living mortals.

How do I balance the encounters so they're challenging for all involved, without marginalizing anyone?

Also, I'm a little fuzzy on the whole CR thing. I've been told by others that it's not very accurate.

[wraithstrike]

Are you using single enemies or multiple enemies? What is the CR of the encounters they are taking down easily, and what is the level of the party?

[The Mighty Khan]

Having lots encounters per day will limit the brokenness of the Pally's few smites and the sorceress's highest level spells.

If ranger is not using Clustered Shot, DR can be effective against archers. Also anything to prevent the archer from full-attacking, like Slow.

Swarms will let your casters dominate while forcing your BABers to resort to Alchemist's Fires.

Make a batch of fighters that are focused on Disarm or Trip. Your Monk will shine like never before.

Then, of course, there's always noncombat encounters, like puzzles and hard-to-convince NPCs.

[Virellius]

I have a Fire Wu-Jen in my party who has, through theft, bribery, and downright intimidation, gotten her hands on a LOT of gold, and has over 30 int at level 10. Started with 18, +2 from elf, +2 from leveling, +8 from headband, +2 from a partnership with a succubus... she has so many bonus spells-per-day it's ridiculous. So, to limit that, I like to use things with crazy high SR.

Only she never EVER rolls low enough to fail, and she has both spell pen feats. She's hilariously fun to balance around, though. Demons and (especially) devils are my go-to for her.

In your case, use a Quell from Libris Mortis. Undead that disconnects holy casters from their deity and essentially Turns them; or use Graveknights with the Sacrilege Aura.

Get them when they're out of armor with an assassination attempt? Maybe try an encounter at sea/on a river in which the ranger will have to aim in bumpy conditions, and the paladin will risk drowning in the armor.

[Chemlak]

Multiple foes, many times per day: and don't be afraid to bump the CR a bit.

Depending on the party level, if you throw 6 or 7 encounters at them between rest opportunities (and nothing says "you ain't getting any rest" like a horde of Shadows in the night), they will be challenged. For your two "problem" characters, it will be because the paladin runs out of smites and though I know most people don't pay that much attention, the built-in limitation on archers is how many arrows they carry. If someone is Manyshot/Rapid Shot firing every round, they will burn through at least 3 (far more likely 4+) arrows per round. Carrying 40 arrows? They're good for 3-4 encounters. Efficient Quiver? 5 or 6 at most. Ranged combat as the kings of the battlefield is only true if arrows are an unlimited resource.

Another way to punch up the challenge threshold is to blend your encounters. Getting it right can be tricky, but start off with a single big hitter that "stumbles into" the party (a demon would be good for this). Have him growl something about not having time to waste. Teleport. Do this after the party have tossed a few abilities out (like making him the smite target). Then follow him up moments later with a group of undead that were tracking him. Just as the party are starting to get on top of the undead, bring him (and a few allies, perhaps) back with a "Aha! You fell for my trap, undead fools!" and have him start indiscriminately attacking anything nearby, with the undead being preferred over the PCs. And if that isn't enough to drive a bit of strain at the players, wait until all of the undead are defeated and then bring in the NPCs that were guiding them. The hardest thing to manage is to ensure that the PCs aren't automatically overmatched at any one stage of the process, which is best achieved by not making them the primary target until one faction of bad guys is completely gone.

[Thanael]

Dont fetishize balance!

Have a wandering monster table/random encounters and more encounters per day but lower EL I. General. Or adequate EL but lots of enemies. Use high EL encounters sparingly.

Read the Alexandrian article on encounters and balance... and also this one