reflex and AC bonuses most likely. Also, ranged capabilities being important later on for use against flying creatures. So, if they didn't have it or had it at a penalty then they would be at a disadvantage compared to others.
This is because dexterity covers so much in D&D that clumsiness is almost suicidal. It goes from dodging, to hitting ranged, to reflex saves, to initiative, and combat maneuvers, as well as being ability score for many skills, and necessary as a prerequisite for many feats. There are also a bunch of feats that make dexterity more useful.
Because of this, it becomes difficult to make a race that is slow but graceful or reactive but not too skilled. They either have both or have neither and when someone thinks of a clumsy, unskilled, unreactive race it's hard to see them surviving in the world.
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Admittedly, if the clumsy race had, say, natural armor to make up for the lower AC, I think it would be a bit more palatable.
But every ability score has an impact. Is Dex really more significant than all others?
Dexterity is one of those scores that doesn't need to be high, but hurts a lot when it's low. It's the opposite of charisma, which can be really great when it's high but doesn't matter much when it's low.
Because of this, it becomes difficult to make a race that is slow but graceful or reactive but not too skilled. They either have both or have neither and when someone thinks of a clumsy, unskilled, unreactive race it's hard to see them surviving in the world.
Give them a +4 Con to make up for it?
My homebrew race has a penalty to Dexterity, and it makes sense that they're kinda clumsy, since they're basically humans with hooves and horns.
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I think it would be interesting while still being somewhat effective if the dex penalty where paired with large sized as well. but that could just be me...
I've done a homebrewed race with a penalty to Dex. They got natural armour as well as boosted Con and Wis and poison resistance to make up for it (on account of basically being living suits of armour), and yet I still had one player declare he would never play one the moment he heard there was a dex penalty.
Then again I had another player play one of them as a tough melee rogue/inquisitor. It worked out quite well in fact.
Well there are certain things that can cause a person not a race as a whole to be clumsy.
1. Size gains a -2 Dex per size increase.
2. Armour provides a negative to acrobatics, clim, swim, ride, ect.
3. It could be said that those with zero ranks in Acrobatics are generally not graceful.
However I always thought that Giants would be slightly clumsy. At least they are protrayed that way in most fantasy I have seen.