Giant Spiders

Giant Spiders are normal Spiders, only grown to enormous size and strength! These huge beasts won't hesitate for a second to defend their area against any intruder they register. Despite being fast and having a painful bite that can contain a strong poison, they are still seen by more experienced adventurers only as nuisance. Giant Spiders are known for their cobwebs and Spider Silk, this is why some mages have literal Spider farms to harvest the Spider Silk.

Giant Spiders usually are only encountered in dungeons and dark caves. But some colonies also exist outside in the wilderness.

First seen in Ultima I, Giant Spiders changed little from then on. However, in Ultima IX, they have learned to shoot webs. Also, there are several other species of Giant Spiders appearing.

In the Ultima Underworlds, Wolf Spiders and Dread Spiders appear. In Ultima IX, Phase Spiders appear.

Lore
''In the underworld, the ordinarily tiny spider can grow to enormous size. The common giant spider is grey, and is the size of an extremely large dog. Giant spiders often form mated pairs or larger groupings, which will protect one another in a fight. They rear on their hind legs to bite their opponent. A single giant spider can be a challenge - one should always flee a larger grouping, unless one has the protection of numbers. The wolf spider is smaller, but can inject a powerful poison with its bite. It is recognizable by its reddish-brown fur. '' There are written accounts of a huge, pale white breed of spider dwelling deep in the underworld, dubbed the read spider, but I would tend to dismiss this as hysterical exaggeration.

- from "A Safe Passage Through Britannia", Ultima Underworld II