Oh, ye Deathless template

[Cyanide]

I know there -is- a Q&A section, but since it's strictly RAW I thought it'd be better to post this here, if I'm mistaken just tell me and I'll move the whole thing there.

I was having a look through the Magic Item Compendium and the Truedeath Crystal sparked a train of thought on the Deathless template.
Reading the template itself I get the feeling the Deathless are something entirely -apart- from undead, with them being a type in their own, with undying soldier and undying councilor being listed as "deathless" rather than "undead (deathless)" and the very descriprion of the deathless type stating how spells and items that normally work on undead have no enhanced effect (searing light), no effect at all (halt undead, disrupting weapons) or even the opposite effect (disrupt undead, cure light wounds) on the Deathless.
The description does, to be fair, mention that two spells (hide from undead and undeath to death) work normally on deathless, but these are, unless I'm mistaken, the only two exception to a rule stating that spells and items affecting undead work either differently or not at all on Deathless.

My question is this, would you say that items, abilities, feats or spells strictly keyed on Undead (Deathstrike Bracers from Magic item compendium, Death's ruin from Complete Champion, the Skullclan Hunter in Miniatures Handbook and so forth) would also work on Deathless?

Thanks in advance to everyone!

[Kazudo]

Actually you're right, the Deathless type and the Undead type are two separate entities like the Humanoid type and Giant type are. The Deathless type also has its own characteristics, which are described on page 157 of the BoED.

Hide from Undead and Undeath to Death still work on them, Detect Undead and Deathwatch also reveal deathless, etc.

They're basically the polar good-aligned Undead, while Undead are the polar evil-aligned Deathless. With that in mind, deathless are not affected by disrupting weapons. Other than that, it appears that weapons that SPECIFICALLY say Undead don't work on deathless unless they use a spell that is listed in Deathless type description.