The wording on the Quivering Palm feature says "When you use this action, the creature must make a Constitution saving throw. If it fails, it is reduced to 0 hit points. If it succeeds, it takes 10d10 necrotic damage." Death Knights are immune to necrotic damage.
It seems like there are two possibilities for the effect Quivering Palm has on Death Knights (and other undead that are immune to necrotic damage: (1) the Death Knight is killed if he fails his save, but, takes no damage if he succeeds; or (2) Quivering Palm does not effect the Death Knight.
Based on the text I would say it's an all or save situation. When the Knight fails his save his HP is just dropped to 0, there is no damage type so it bypasses resistances or immunities. However if he succeeds his save it becomes a necrotic based damage thus procing his damage type immunity.
It's all or nothing on anything immune to Necrotic damage.
But it technically does not necessarily kill either. Purely By RaW the way it is written, all it does is reduce their HP to 0. This is technically just puts them in an unconcious state. Now for ease and to show many things are lesser than NPC's. Most DM's very easily decide that most things you face will just be outright dead after they hit 0 hp, either with the background assumption that PC's make sure of such, or in essence that they failed their Con saves to stabalize and expire from that for ease of book keeping. The Way it is written is likely meant primarily for if it was ever used against a player because 5e has weakened many instant death attacks in some way (or stopped them from being such altogether). But a DM can potentially use it on other things to raise them above the rank and file above most monsters that you'd fight that they just gloss over any potential recovery.
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The wording on the Quivering Palm feature says "When you use this action, the creature must make a Constitution saving throw. If it fails, it is reduced to 0 hit points. If it succeeds, it takes 10d10 necrotic damage." Death Knights are immune to necrotic damage.
It seems like there are two possibilities for the effect Quivering Palm has on Death Knights (and other undead that are immune to necrotic damage: (1) the Death Knight is killed if he fails his save, but, takes no damage if he succeeds; or (2) Quivering Palm does not effect the Death Knight.
Based on the text I would say it's an all or save situation. When the Knight fails his save his HP is just dropped to 0, there is no damage type so it bypasses resistances or immunities. However if he succeeds his save it becomes a necrotic based damage thus procing his damage type immunity.
It's all or nothing on anything immune to Necrotic damage.
But it technically does not necessarily kill either. Purely By RaW the way it is written, all it does is reduce their HP to 0. This is technically just puts them in an unconcious state. Now for ease and to show many things are lesser than NPC's. Most DM's very easily decide that most things you face will just be outright dead after they hit 0 hp, either with the background assumption that PC's make sure of such, or in essence that they failed their Con saves to stabalize and expire from that for ease of book keeping. The Way it is written is likely meant primarily for if it was ever used against a player because 5e has weakened many instant death attacks in some way (or stopped them from being such altogether). But a DM can potentially use it on other things to raise them above the rank and file above most monsters that you'd fight that they just gloss over any potential recovery.