Specters are such sad creatures, I can't help but feel pity for these imaginary beings. They make for a great plot hook, moral question, bridge into a character arc, horror monster, or unknowing guard to an evil layer though.

Quote from Chaosrex >>

Dunno it feels kinda like out of place with how the Hexbalde functions...

Yeah i get that the vanilla lore of the Hexblade in 5th is that you get your powers from the Shadowfell, so Shadowfell=ghosts, ok, ok, ok...

But mecanicaly?, it doesn't do much for the class, NOT using it, doesn't change anything to how the class works, so...whats the point?...

Hexblade allready has to deal with very narrow features since half of the later one requiring the Hexblade curse to work, even though you can use it only once per short rest and on ONE target at a time...( well till you reach lvl14)...

I'd rather had and improved Hexblade curse at lvl 6 that either does more dmg/can be used multiple times, then this weird out of context feature.

Yes i know that its something that the class inherited from the UA version of the class with the Shadow Hound ( that finished in the hands of the Shadow sorceror, but actually good and usefull...), but still, it feels tacked on at the last minute...

Talked about it with my DM and we replaced it with this:

Dark Reaper :

You Reap the Souls of your enemies to feed your Pact Blade's powers.

When you attack a creature with your Pact weapon and reduce them to 0 hit points, you regain a spell slot.

You can use this feature once, and can not do so again until you finish a long rest. You gain one additional use of this feature at level 14.

 Doesn't do much for the class?
Ask any shepard druid. More monsters on your side is ALWAYS good. Action economy is one of the biggest factors in deciding who wins a fight. That doesn't equate to whoever has the most monsters, sure, because it's about which side takes the most actions (so if you have a hoard of goblins and 9/10 of them get fireballed and die, action economy is still on the player's side).
This thing is 25-32 free meat points for your team with anywhere between a +7 to a +9 to hit (if you're a hexblade with less than 16 charisma by 6th level I shudder at what your stats look like XD) doing 3d6 damage (which is the equivalent of a cantrip for most levels) and potentially reducing the enemies max hp which is a HUGE debuff that very few player abilities have. To my knowledge, this is the only way for players to gain access to max HP reduction.

As for your proposed replacement, I agree with a previous commenter, your replacement sounds more like a 12 or 15th level evocation not a class feature.

At some point during their progression, Hexblade warlocks can summon these out of the humanoids they vainquish.

"DC 10 Constitution saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken." This doesn't reduce the creature's current hit points further right? So 20/20hp > 5dmg > 15/20hp > 5 max hp redux> 15/15hp not 20/20hp > 5dmg > 15/20hp > 5hp max red> 15/10hp right?

Well youre in luck, its a level 6 ability not 10th :D

Multiclassing Hexblade/Paladin and I just got the ability to raise one of these at level 15. I'm excited to use it, but I doubt that it will be much help at as high a level we are. 

For accursed spectre they gotta add some more durability to this thing in the long run. It's great at lower levels but soon enough it's a 1-hit kill for most creatures, has disadvantage in sunlight and the con save is dc10 so it'll literally never succeed. Make its measly 12 ac, dc10 and damage rolls go up by your proficiency bonus, take out sunlight sensitivity, double the temp HP

Am i the only one who thinks that incorporeal creatures should be able to hit creatures through nonmagical armor. Oh congratulations mr. 21Ac defensive style fighter with shield, what is your Dex Ac?

Maybe its a little evil, but it incentivises that they get something even as simple as Armor of Gleaming or Smouldering Armor. And a shield of Expression. And each of these items encourage roleplay even more.

Quote from sarcastiksh0rtee37 >>

"DC 10 Constitution saving throw or its hit point maximum is reduced by an amount equal to the damage taken." This doesn't reduce the creature's current hit points further right? So 20/20hp > 5dmg > 15/20hp > 5 max hp redux> 15/15hp not 20/20hp > 5dmg > 15/20hp > 5hp max red> 15/10hp right?

Correct. Hit points and max hit points are two intertwined, but distinct variables, so changing one does not necessarily change the other.

Quote from Theboiwhocriedd4 >>

How did your cleric have 13 HP? don't clerics have a d8 hit dice, so at level 1 with a 16 con you would have 11 HP, unless you rolled for stats and had a 20 con at level 1

 

 

Beyond 20

 

 

 

 

 

 plus the tough feat thats another 2 hp

Why are these not options for animate dead, they seem on par with skeletons/zombies and would imo be great for a ghost only necromancer build.  Also, poltergeists.  Further, create undead could give the option to create a Wraith.  Seems like these are no-brainers.

I think the DM can change this at will. A werewolf entered play and fought 9 bugbears, it silly to think that enough strong creatures can’t tear apart a werewolf. Or a dragon rips a werewolf in half? (Obviously the dragon could use breath to kill a werewolf). I give were creatures 3/4 resistance to nonmagical. For incorporeal undead I’d give immunity to nonmagical/nonsilver/non fire so a torch could do some damage but still keeps the theme.

i went on a tangent there, apologies 

CR level 1? 

I like how the smoke oh-so conveniently covers his lower half.

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.
what removes this effect?

Quote from ChangelingTale >>

Can't wait to be a level 10 Hexblade.

 You dont have to be a level 10 hexblade, you can be a level 6 paladin oath breaker and use your command undead thing to get a wraith under your control, and that wraith can get 7 of these bad boys

However if that wraith succeeds on its wisdom saving throw that happens every 24 hours your kinda screwed

Ok so lets dive into it
if you fail a DC 10 save your HP max is reduced, and if you look a little later in the spell you can see the words, "This reduction lasts until the creature finishes a long rest"

So assuming i'm not stupid and/or brain dead i think it ends after a long rest, but idk im kinda stupid.

Unless you think this reduction happens every turn, it does not, it only happens when it hits you(or something or someone), not every turn or something.

Kachow, hoped that helped bro

the question is what kind of condition it is and how to remove it, there is no such thing in the rules of appendix A. I want a specific answer, which debuff it imposes. because there is Lesser Restoration, Remove Curse, Greater Restoration.

questions on mechanics. what debuff, condition, curse, or what is it and where in the rules is it described?

https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/basic-rules/appendix-a-conditions#AppendixAConditions

https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells/harm 

it's a lvl 6 skill and it's a 22hp clown.

Quote from Nereze >>

 Specters no longer possess connections to who or what they were, yet are condemned to walk the world forever.

Does this mean that if you use this on someone and want to learn something from them, they wouldn't know? I get that they cant speak but they do understand the languages in life. Would I not be able to make them nod to something or guide?

 they don't have connections but still have the knowledge. like how a psychopath doesn't have an emotional connection to someone who thinks of them as a friend but still has knowledge about that person. basically made so they can start fighting their previous friends