Some creatures, such as the Specter (MM, p. 279), have a feature that reduces a victims maximum hit points:
Life Drain. Melee Spell Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft. , one creature. Hit: 10 (3d6) necrotic damage. The target must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken. This reduction lasts until the creature finishes a long rest. The target dies if this effect reduces its hit point maximum to 0.
Say someone dies from this effect, and his/her companions want to revive the victim. What would, therefore, happen if they tried this with a spell such as Revivify, Raise Dead or Resurrection, neither of which mention a removal of such an effect? (True Resurrection would remove the effects, but that's a 9th level spell. Dying from max hit point reduction when you have access to level 9 spells seems unlikely).
Raise Dead in particular states:
This spell doesn’t, however, remove magical diseases, curses, or similar effects; if these aren’t first removed prior to casting the spell, they take effect when the creature returns to life.
Hit points can only assume a value between 0 and the maximum value (PHB, p. 196).
Would a creature with 0 maximum hit points that is revived therefore return with 0 hit points - alive, but unconscious? Or is it impossible to revive the creature?
