League with demons
“Older” vampires are said to be able to command some form of magical or monstrous beings (demons, zombies, ghouls …), which seems natural as the vampire is in connection with the devil.
However, controlling large numbers of these lesser undead creatures requires greater concentration and strength.
Some very powerful vampires or Vampire Regents can even summon such creatures if they are in the general vicinity (about a 5 – 10 mile radius), allowing zombies for instance to creep out from their graves.