How am I supposed to roleplay a really low Dexterity (5)?

[Sergio]

My current dexterity is 5. I was wondering how would I be roleplaying it. Does it mean that my character will just step into every table in a tavern, or punch or crush everything intentionally?

[EnglishKitsune]

Could we know more about the character?

Race? Class? Personality?

Are they a Pirate? Peg Leg.

Are they a Wizard? Old Age.

Are they a Dwarf? "We dwarfs are natural sprinters..."

There's many ways you could play it, but that depends more on what would fit the larger character.

[Tinkerer]

A few notes here.

1) A Dex of 5 means that you are clumsier than normal, it does not mean that you are a walking talking Jerry Lewis skit. You probably won't bump into every table in the pub.

2) It can also be something which has an outside influence. For a Dex of 5 I would be tempted to give them an eye patch (system depending) and explain that a lot of the clumsiness is due to a recent lack of depth perception. Note I only see out of one eye at a time so I know this reasoning is a line of bull but it tends to work well in fiction.

3) How does it work with your other stats? If you also have a low Strength and are playing a mage type character I might say that your character freezes for a second when put in situations where they need to physically act. Or that they are constantly distracted by their thoughts. If it's a high Strength high Con character then I might say that their entire body is so calloused and scarred that they have lost their sense of touch and are unable to properly interact with things as a result.

I wouldn't constantly put it into play since that can get pretty old but once or twice a session should be pretty good.

[Arbane]

I'm pretty sure the GM asking for skill checks will take care of displaying your dump stat without you needing to deliberately act inept. It's always worked for me.

[Eldan]

It's not that unusual. It's a -3. It's about as unusual as a 16 dexterity. How different do you play someone with 16 dexterity from someone with 11 dexterity? They are a bit clumsy, not much more.
What I mean is, if they are forced to roll, they will make a DC of 10 (trivial) on a 13+. Compared to a 10+ for a normal character or a 7+ for a highly skilled one. It's not a huge difference.-

[Avigor]

I'd go for occasional random comedic moments during everyday activities; maybe you spill hot soup on your lap and do a silly dance, maybe you trip and throw your plateful of food across several people's faces, maybe you somehow destroy the outhouse despite it making no logical sense that you pulled this off, maybe you smack a party member in the face with a shovel full of dirt while digging a grave for an NPC on behalf of the party Cleric... Also, have at least one party member refuse to let you wander unsupervised in a store, citing some sort of Noodle Incident as why.

[Aliquid]

You could just be slow moving or poor muscle control.
Twitches and muscle spasms.
Need a walking stick due to bad balance.
If strong, big bulky muscles to the point where moving gracefully is awkward. (i.e. low flexibility)

[Mastikator]

How do people with bad reflexes, balance and coordination behave?

Basically the same as everyone else.

Pick out 3 or 4 key characteristics that really stick out and roleplay that primarily. It's of course always best if those characteristics are reflected in your character sheet and back story. So kudos.
Maybe involve a few accidents in your character's backstory that has informed their present self somehow. It would be too subtle for anyone to notice but you'd know and it would improve your experience.

[Sergio]

Hello I wish to thank everyone of you for the answer :)

ùMy stats are:

30 (str)
5 (dex)
21 (con)
16
16
18

[Nifft]

Hello I wish to thank everyone of you for the answer :)

ùMy stats are:

30 (str)
5 (dex)
21 (con)
16
16
18

So, you're very strong and tough, but low Dex.

To me that says: muscle-bound body-builder type who both "doesn't know his own strength" and also who has restricted range of motion due to SO MUCH MUSCLE.

Luckily, you're friendly and well-liked enough that the occasional bar-room accident won't be held against you.

You're also observant & clever enough to avoid common hazards, like accidentally squishing a small person with your incredible muscles.